Reunion Time
by superdory57
Summary: Sequel to Dino Time. A reunion is planned just in time for Power Rangers Day, it will be a great time for everyone to get together and catch up. But sense when has anything gone according to plan for the power rangers? Misunderstandings and mistakes abound, will they be able to get everything strait before Tommy or Jason loses their mind?
1. Who are you talking to

Hey guys! We are FINALLY back. :) This is the long ago promised sequel to Dino Time, we have been working on it and tweaking it (while getting distracted by other stories oops). We hope you like this, it's a bit different than the other. Our orginall plan was to show the other team and their reactions ... it turned into this.. Oh well, enjoy the read and give us feedback. We have everything written now and it will be published quickly!

Disclaimer: We are poor students we can't afford a doughnut, let alone a multimillion dollar organization like power ranger... Oh to dream...

"One-two-three-four—two-two-three-four—three-two-three-four—" Tanya counted, clapping her hands with the beat as she watched the dancers. "Four-two-three-four—"

In the background, she heard Zach talking to someone. Frowning, Tanya turned to see who he was talking to as she continued clapping. He was standing with his back to her and the dancers, his phone pressed to his ear.

"Zach!" Tanya hissed, trying to get his attention.

He didn't turn around. But a yelp from one of the dancers caught Tanya's attention and she whipped back around to see several of them in a pile on the ground. Tanya sighed, rubbing a hand across her face.

"Zach!" she called. "Don't you think you should be over here helping?"

He still didn't acknowledge her. Tanya took a deep breath.

"Alright," she said shortly, looking at the dancers. "Untangle yourselves and take five. I will be right back."

Spinning around, she marched toward Zach.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, striding up to him.

"Oh, hi Tanya," he said, glancing around for a moment before going back to the phone call. "Yeah, man, you're crazy…Listen, Tommy, I know you're not really a sports person, but you've got to be crazy to think they're the better team…Well they aren't!"

Tanya moved to stand in front of Zach, hands on her hips as she glared at him. Zach's eyes went wide.

"Umm… Listen, dude," he said quickly. "I gotta go…Yeah, Tanya's giving me that look again…Uh-huh…Give Hayley a kiss from me…No! Not in a creepy way…Don't you dare. She'll kill me…"

Tanya's eyes narrowed and she started tapping her foot.

"And Tanya is going to kill me if I don't get off the phone," Zach muttered. "I'll call you later… Bye."

Hanging up the phone, Zach stuffed it in his pocket, giving Tanya a tentative grin.

"Something more important than—hmm…I don't know—your job?" Tanya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it was Tommy," Zach protested meekly. "We don't really get to talk much, being on opposite schedules and all. I mean, he's at school all morning and then by the time he gets out I'm usually here working with you and the dancers, so I like to talk to him when I get the chance…It's nice catching up with him once in a while…"

Tanya dropped her hands down, still frowning.

"Why is Tommy going to school?" she asked.

"Not going to school," Zach corrected. "Teaching it."

"He teaches school?" Tanya exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, high school science," said Zach, relaxing a little now that Tanya wasn't glaring at him. "He's a doctor of paleontology, too."

"What?" she said, slightly stunned.

"Yeah, I didn't see that one coming either," Zach said with a shrug. "Apparently he's made some pretty important discoveries too, but I don't know a whole lot about them. I usually stop listening after about thirty seconds any time he mentions dinosaurs…but that's ok, cause he knows it. He likes to call me when he needs to talk something through for himself and doesn't want to look like a crazy person. At least when he's on the phone with me it looks like he's having a conversation with another person instead of himself—"

"Wait a minute," Tanya interrupted, holding up a hand. "Tommy's a paleontologist and a teacher? Why don't I know this?"

Zach shrugged again.

"I don't know," he said. "But I guess I didn't know it myself until about three months ago."

"Why not?" Tanya asked, confused now.

"Well…" Zach said slowly. "Probably because I kind of sort of maybe forgot about him…"

That made Tanya paused. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath.

"Ok," she said. "I realize I haven't talked to him in a long time either, but how did you forget him?"

"I don't know," Zach said. "I guess it was because I was busy working and always put off calling him back or going to visit…and technically none of us were speaking to him anyways, so that was part of it—"

"Hold up," Tanya said, interrupting again. "You were fighting with Tommy?"

"Well, yeah," Zach muttered, rubbing a hand over his head. "Technically. It's complicated, really, but there was this sort of blow up and then a minor fight and none of us were talking…But Jason and Tommy were really the only ones actually fighting. I mean, before three months ago the last time they had seen each other they got into a full out physical fight. From everything I heard it really wasn't pretty…"

Tanya took another deep breath. Zach's rambling explanation was starting to give her a headache. Rubbing one hand across her face, she held up the other to forestall his continued explanation.

"So you were fighting," she said. "But you're talking now."

"Yep," Zach confirmed. "Tommy and Jason are great now. They spar all the time and Jason's been helping Tommy with some training and stuff—I avoid all of that though. I spend too much time on the ground no matter how fast I move. But we're all talking now. Billy helped Hayley set us all straight—and of course the message from Zordon helped."

"Message from Zordan?" Tanya asked, getting more and more confused. "And how did Billy help? He left Earth years ago."

"Oh, Billy's back on Earth," Zach said offhandedly. "And Zordon locked a message away in our memories—there was this whole time travel fiasco you see and we had to lock the memories away so we didn't mess up the future so Billy built a machine and before he used it Zordon gave us a message about Tommy and being friends and remembering our loyalties and—"

"Enough!" Tanya exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Give me your phone."

Zach whipped his phone out of his pocket without thinking and Tanya snatched it away.

"Hey!" Zach exclaimed. "Why are you taking my phone?"

"I'm assuming Billy's number is in here?" she said.

Zach nodded.

"Good. I'm going to call him," she said. "Go back to work. You need to focus on your dancers right now."

"Why?" Zach asked, frowning. "Did something get messed up?"

Rolling her eyes, Tanya spun and stormed away, searching through Zach's contact list as she went. As she left the stage area, Adam came walking in. She barely glanced up as she passed him.

"Make him focus please," she said, pointing at Zach without pausing.

Adam stopped in confusion, watching her walk out before turning back to Zach, who just shrugged. Sighing, Adam shook his head before joining Zach and the dancers, back from their break.


	2. Making plans

Short chapter but I hope you like it (two in one day what do you expect). :) Shoot us a review or a message tell us wher eyou think it's going or what you think we love hearing it ENJOY!

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Later that evening, Tanya sighed as she turned off the lamp and rolled over, scooting closer to Adam. He put an arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. For a few minutes it was silent.

"Honey?" Tanya said softly, breaking the silence. "What do you think about getting together with the other rangers?"

"What do you mean?" Adam asked. "You see Rocky and Aisha all the time, not to mention Kat. And Zach travels practically everywhere with us."

"No," Tanya said, shifting to face him. "Not just them. I mean everyone. Jason, Trini, Kim, Billy—Tommy. All of them. A reunion of sorts."

Adam paused for a moment, shifting around so he was facing Tanya.

"Actually," he said. "That sounds like a great idea. What did you have in mind?"

"Well," Tanya said. "Power Ranger Day is coming up in Angel Grove. I was kind of thinking we could make a week of it."

"But can everyone do that?" he asked. "A whole week, I mean."

"Yes, actually," she said. "The timing is perfect for everyone. We'll be off tour after next week, so you and I and Zach will all be free. Jason and Trini already live in Angel Grove, so they're right there. Jason won't have to worry about being away from his dojo that way and Trini will be done working for the summer since the summer schools don't generally need a substitute teacher. Rocky has a lot of vacation time built up that Aisha's been bugging him about using and she works from home anyways, so she can just bring her computer with her. I think she's in between groups going to Africa anyways. Kat's the same. She can do most of her work from anywhere. Kim has other trainers who can work with her students for the week, barring any emergencies. And Billy is still going to be here—"

"Billy's on Earth?" Adam exclaimed.

"He is," Tanya said. "Zach told me earlier and I was just as surprised."

"I wonder why he never called us," Adam said, frowning.

"I don't know," Tanya sighed. "But he's been here for several months and been staying with Tommy. Who, by the way, is a teacher and paleontologist and will be done with school for the summer in two weeks."

"He's a what?" Adam exclaimed.

"A teacher," Tanya repeated. "And a paleontologist. Don't worry—I had the same reaction when I heard it from Zach."

"Wow," Adam muttered, flopping over on to his back. "How did I not know that?"

"I don't know," Tanya sighed, doing the same. "But what do you think?"

"I think it's a wonderful idea," Adam said. "But where are we going to meet?"

"The Youth Center," she answered. "Ernie bought it back a few years ago and I'm sure he'd love to have us all there again. We can hang there for a few days and then Jason and Trini have a good sized house we can spend some time at. And we can rent some hotel rooms around the area. It'll be perfect."

Rolling over, Adam wrapped his arms around Tanya.

"Yes it will be," he agreed, giving her a kiss. "Especially with you planning it. Just let me know what I can do to help."

"Of course," Tanya smiled, snuggling against him. "This is going to be great."


	3. Arriving

Okay everyone just as a heads up i want to warn you that updates may not be quite as fast as i normally do my computers hard drive crashed last night and as prevously noted i am poor. So currently i am using hazergirl1220's computer we will still be updating as much as possible but there could be a few days to a week or so between updates. That out of the way we have another chapter ready for you I hope you all enjoy! R&R and let us know what you are thinking.

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"So where are they?" Zach asked. "I thought they were supposed to be here like an hour ago so we could head over to the Youth Center together."

Jason, who was sitting on the floor playing with his son, looked up at Zach. Trini was sitting on the couch talking with Kim about plans for the week while Kim's husband, Ken, was relaxing in one of the arm chairs. Kim and Ken had only been there for a few hours, but Zach had spent the night. He'd left LA early rather than waiting and trying to cram into a car with Adam, Tanya, Rocky, Aisha, and the latter couple's two-year-old daughter, Sophia.

"Patience, Zach," Jason sighed as Mark, his four-year-old, knocked down another stack of blocks he'd just piled up. "I talked to Hayley earlier and they were running a little behind. Something about trying to get Tommy to take his pain meds. They've all been moving a little slow this past week anyways what with everything that happened."

Zach, who had been pacing around the living room, paused.

"That's right," he said. "What exactly did happen?"

"We're not completely sure," Trini answered, looking up from her conversation with Kim. "All we got was a garbled message from Hayley saying that they were all alright and not to worry when we saw the news."

"And then we saw the news," Jason added. "It didn't look pretty. But when I saw Tommy the next day he'd already been put on pain meds. He was high. And I mean high. I got part of the story, but I'm not sure what happened when. Essentially there was an exploding island—though I believe they did that on purpose—the Zords blew up with Ethan and Conner in them—they're alright, though—Tommy was slammed into a car—which is why he's on pain meds—they all got beaten up by a giant dinosaur, and they gave up their powers to destroy him completely—which drained them pretty good. Oh, and I guess someone blew up the lab, so now Tommy's house is a little unstable. He's going to have to fix it this summer."

"Geez," Zach muttered. "I'd be moving slow, too."

"Exactly," Trini said. "And now that they don't have powers anymore they don't have the accelerated healing abilities, so they're going to be hurting for a while. Hayley said they even went to prom right after the fight, running on an adrenaline high she assumes."

Jason snorted.

"They didn't feel so great the next morning," he said.

Zach turned to look out the window again.

"They're here!" he exclaimed, turning to rush out the door.

Tommy's jeep, the top down, had just pulled up in front of the house. Zach met them outside. Hayley was in the driver's seat, Billy in the seat next to her.

"Where's Tommy?" Zach asked, leaning against the jeep. "Oh. There is he is."

Tommy was sprawled across the backseat, sleeping. He was in a mostly sitting position, his legs stretched out diagonally across the seat. His left arm was currently in a cast from the tip of his ring and pinky fingers to just below his elbow, leaving only his thumb, index, and middle finger mobile. The whole arm was tucked across his chest and buckled in place with the seatbelt.

"Is he snoring?" Zach laughed. "And what's with his arm?"

"Yep," Hayley said, turning off the car and unbuckling. "He tends to do that when he's all drugged out. And he has a few broken bones in his hand, so they put a cast on it. The cast is a little longer than normal though to make sure it supported his wrist, which got a little banged up, too."

"Oh," said Zach. "But why is it buckled in?"

"Because he wouldn't wear his sling," Hayley sighed, shifting to climb out of the jeep. "So as soon as he passed out I had Billy lean back there and buckle it in so his arm wouldn't shift around during the drive."

Zach laughed as Billy shrugged, grinning.

"Shouldn't you wake him up?" Zach asked as Hayley got out of the jeep.

Hayley shook her head.

"No point," she answered. "We're heading straight over to the Youth Center, aren't we? I'll wake him up there."

"Good point," Zach conceded. "But we'd better get the others."

Hayley nodded, leaning against the jeep as Zach hurried back into the house. A few minutes later, Jason and Trini with Mark came out, followed by Kim, Ken, and Zach. Jason walked over to talk to Hayley while the others climbed into Jason and Trini's van.

"Where are the kids?" he asked.

"They're in Conner's car," Hayley answered, straightening up. "Since they left a little later than we did, they're just going to meet us there. You want to take the lead?"

"Sounds good to me," Jason agreed. "Everyone else should be there by now."

"Then let's go," Hayley said, climbing back in the jeep.

Jason got into his car and started it up, taking off down the street. It didn't take them long to get to the Youth Center, though they did have to fight some traffic for Power Ranger week. The celebrations, which used to be contained to a single day, had expanded over the years as more power rangers popped up in different places. But they finally arrived, parking next to the rest of the rangers' cars. Hayley turned in her seat, shaking Tommy gently to wake him up.

"Huh?" he mumbled, his eyes opening. "What's going on?"

"We're there," she answered. "Time to wake up."

Groaning, Tommy started to sit up when he realized he was buckled against the seat. Frowning, he fumbled with the buckled, trying to free himself.

"Hayley," Tommy muttered. "What's the seatbelt for?"

"Well, you wouldn't wear your sling," she said. "So I improvised."

"Hayley's right, Tommy," Billy agreed, turning to look at him. "Allowing an injured limb to flail around increases the chances of a re-break—"

"Thank you, Billy," Tommy said shortly. "I don't need to hear that right now. Can someone please let me out?"

When he had tried to sit up he had moved too quickly, locking the seatbelt in place. Now, with his one arm pinned to chest, he couldn't shift around enough to reach the buckle. Hayley just turned back around and climbed out of the jeep, waiting patiently as Tommy continued to struggle with the seatbelt.

"Hayley!" Tommy exclaimed.

"There's no need to be grouchy," she said, crossing her arms in front of her. "This wouldn't have happened if you would have just worn your sling."

Tommy glared at her. Walking up to the jeep, Jason started laughing.

"Looks like you're having some trouble, bro," Jason grinned, leaning against the jeep for a moment.

"Shut up, Jase," Tommy growled. "And go away if you're not going to help."

Laughing, Jason shook his head and walked away, though he didn't go far. The others, having finished unloading the van, were heading to join them. Finally taking pity on Tommy, Billy leaned into the backseat and hit the button to release his friend.

"Thanks, Billy," Tommy said, climbing out of the jeep. "Sorry for snapping at you."

"Medications can have adverse affects on one's emotions," Billy said with a shrug. "No harm done."

Tommy nodded, glancing around.

"Hayley," Tommy asked, turning to look at her. "Where are the kids?"

"They should be here any time," she said. "And no, Conner isn't driving. I made sure to give Ethan the keys."

"Good," he said, nodding.

"Tommy!" Kim exclaimed, running over to give him a hug. "You're awake!"

She threw her arms around him carefully, trying very hard not to hurt him.

"Hey, Kim," Tommy said, smiling as he hugged her back. "It's nice to see you, too."

"You had us all worried, you jerk," she grumbled, smacking him lightly on the shoulder.

"Now, Kimmie," Zach grinned. "You should be used to it by now."

Kim turned to glare at Zach, but before she could do anything Ken put an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey Tommy, good to see you again," he said, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Same here," Tommy said smiling as they greeted each other.

"It's true, though," Hayley sighed, interrupting and going back to what Kim had said. "Tommy's a danger magnet."

"I am not!" Tommy protested as the group started moving inside.

"Yes you are, bro," Jason said. "For some reason, the villains always want you."

Tommy shot a glare at him, but Jason just laughed as they walked inside. Trooping down the hallway, the rangers looked around. Most of them hadn't been in the Youth Center since high school and it had changed a bit since then. Kim was the first into the main area.

"Aisha!" she squealed, darting into the room.

"Kim!" Aisha exclaimed back as the rest of the group followed.

Suddenly everyone in the room was talking and exchanging hugs. It had been several years since the two teams had gotten together like this. Shaking his head, Tommy made his way over to the counter where he took a seat. Hayley followed him and they both sat. As they were sitting there, Ernie walked over.

"Hey, Tommy," he said. "Long time no see. Nice to see you, too, Hayley."

"Good to see you, Ernie," Tommy said.

"Hi, Ernie," Hayley smiled.

"How's that café of yours doing, Hayley?" he asked, leaning on the counter.

"It's doing great," she answered. "I—"

"Tommy?" Kat interrupted, staring at them in surprise.

When Ernie had walked over and greeted Tommy, Kat, who'd been hugging Trini, had spun around to look in surprise. When Tommy heard his name, he turned to look and froze, staring at her.

"Oh," he said. "Hi, Kat."

The room was silent for a moment as the two stared at each other. Zach immediately looked away from the pair, staring at the ceiling and walls, anywhere but at Tommy and Kat. Jason, Trini, Billy, Kim, and Ken all shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to say while the rest of the rangers looked around in confusion.

"Mmm…" Jason said, breaking the silence. "Someone's in trouble."

"I didn't do it!" Mark piped up, tugging on his father's pant leg.

"You're fine, honey," Trini immediately reassured him. "You're not in trouble."

"Me neither!" Sophia, Aisha and Rocky's two-year-old, added.

"You aren't in trouble either," Aisha said, scooping her up. "Promise."

Hayley stood up from the counter, glaring at Kat.

"But someone is," she growled.

"Hayley!" Tommy exclaimed, grabbing her arm. "I told you that you weren't allowed to slap anyone!"

Kim frowned.

"Well," she muttered. "I wish you'd made that rule three months ago. That hurt."

"I am sorry about that, Kim," Hayley said, momentarily distracted.

"No, it's alright, Hayley," Kim said, shaking her head. "I did deserve it. I just meant that I wish it hadn't been necessary…"

"She slapped you?" Kat exclaimed, looking between Hayley and Kim. "But why?"

Hayley took a step toward Kat, her eyes narrowing.

"Let me help you remember," Hayley snapped.

But Tommy didn't let go.

"Hayley, you promised," Tommy said.

"But—" Hayley muttered back, still glaring at Kat.

"Hayley…"

Sighing, Hayley relaxed and Tommy released her arm. It was silent again for a moment until Kira and Trent walked in, pausing in the doorway. Kira was leaning slightly on Trent, favoring her left ankle and limping as she walked. His right arm was in a sling, held closely to his chest, but his left arm was wrapped around Kira as they walked.

"I expected it to be louder in here," Trent said, looking around as Kira nodded in agreement. "Hey, Dr. O. We made it."

Tanya, Adam, Rocky, Aisha, and Kat did a double take, looking around in confusion. The first four realized who the two teens were talking to after a moment, but Kat didn't catch on until Tommy answered.

"That's probably a good thing," Tommy said, his response causing Kat's eyes to widen.

He paused, frowning. But Hayley's eyes lit up. She hopped out of her seat and hurried over to Kira, whispering in her ear.

"Wait a minute," Tommy said. "Where are Ethan and Conner?"

"Oh, they got distracted by the festivities," said Trent. "They'll come in eventually."

At that moment, Tommy realized Hayley was talking to Kira. Before he could say anything else, though, Kira nodded, shrugged and limped over to Kat. Without warning, Kira lifted a hand and slapped Kat as hard as she could across the face.

"Ah!" Kat gasped, putting a hand to her cheek. "What was that for?"

But Kira just shrugged again and limped away. She sat down at one of the nearby tables, Trent joining her.

"Hayley!" Tommy exclaimed. "I told you—"

"That I wasn't allowed to slap anyone," she interrupted, smirking. "And I would like to point out that I didn't touch anyone."

Groaning, Tommy rubbed his forehead.

"That's it," he announced. "No one else is allowed to hit anyone. At all."

Still not saying a word, Kira raised her hand.

"Yes," Tommy sighed. "You can still hit Conner. But only if he deserves it—actually deserves it."

Kira nodded, a smug look on her face as she put her hand down.

"Tommy," Adam said, frowning. "What happened to your hand?"

He'd just seen that Tommy's arm was in a cast. Tommy glanced down for a moment at his hand.

"Oh," he said. "Well, it pretty much went through a car window, amongst other things."

"What?" Tanya exclaimed.

"Yeah," Jason chuckled, shaking his head as he used his hands to demonstrate. "Let's just say that Tommy and a car met at a high rate of speed and it didn't end well."

"Jason!" Tommy said.

"What?" Jason protested. "It's true! You did get—"

But Jason didn't get to finish what he was saying as two more people came bolting into the room. Conner slid to a stop in the middle of the group.

"Dr. O!" he practically yelled. "I found the red Dino Thunder ranger!"

Tommy raised an eyebrow.

"Ok," Conner amended, a little more quietly. "Someone dressed as the red Dino Thunder ranger—but it's still awesome! I have to get a picture. Does anyone have a camera?"

Ethan just stood behind him, grinning.

"Trent!" Conner exclaimed. "Did you bring your camera?"

"Yes," Trent said slowly.

"Can I borrow it?"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Then you're coming with me," Conner said, running over and grabbing his arm. "Come on! Jason, you should come, too!"

Jason started shaking his head.

"I don't think so," he said.

"Red ranger?" Mark piped up.

Groaning, Jason shot a glare at Conner.

"See what you started?" he muttered.

"Jason," Trini said. "Just take him. Mark's never gone to the festivities before. Let him have some fun."

"Alright," Jason sighed, scooping up his son. "But if we're going to do this, we're going to find someone dressed as the original red ranger. The only one worth taking a picture with."

"Hey!" Tommy and Rocky both exclaimed.

But Jason was already heading out the door, laughing. Conner and Ethan, who was now carrying Trent's camera, followed.

"Piture?" Sophia said, tugging on Rocky's pant leg.

"Go on, dear," Aisha grinned, pointing toward the door. "Sophia wants to join in, too."

"Let's go then," Rocky said, picking his daughter up. "Hey Jase, wait up!"

A little while later, Jason, Rocky, Conner, Ethan, and the two kids came back. The two teens were laughing as they pushed each other back and forth. Mark was clinging to Jason's back while Rocky was holding Sophia in his arms.

"She's been corrupted!" Rocky announced as they walked back in.

Aisha frowned, putting her hands on her hips and turning from her conversation with Trini and Kat.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Soph didn't want a picture with the red ranger," Rocky muttered. "Or even a pink or yellow ranger. No—she wants a picture with the green ranger!"

Everyone burst out laughing as Tommy and Adam, who were sitting at the counter talking with Ernie, high-fived each other. Rocky just glowered as Aisha took Sophia from him. Conner, who had just handed Trent back his camera, frowned.

"Soap?" he said. "What does soap have to do with anything?"

"Not soap, Conner," Hayley sighed. "Soph."

She was sitting with Trent and Kira at the table.

"What?" Conner said, confused.

"Soph," she repeated. "Short for Sophia. As in the little girl in pink now clinging to Aisha."

"Huh?" he said again.

Sighing, Hayley looked over at Kira who handed her a small notebook and pen. She wrote 'Sophia' out on the top sheet held it up for Conner.

"Oh," he mumbled.

He rubbed at his ears, muttering under his breath as he dropped in to a seat next to Trent. A little ways away, having left Sophia with Aisha, Rocky wandered over to where Zach and Tanya were sitting and talking. He sat down next to them.

"So, who are the kids again?" he asked after a moment, leaning a little closer, not wanting anyone else to hear him.

"Oh," Zach said. "They're some of Tommy's students."

"What?" Rocky said. "His students?"

Zach nodded, glancing around. Conner, Trent and Kira were still sitting at the table with Hayley. Ken and Kim had joined them. Ethan, on the other hand, had discovered the computers set up in the corner where the video games had used to be.

"Yeah," he said, pointing the teens out as he said their names. "That's Conner wearing the soccer jersey—Ethan's the one on the computers—Trent is the one in white over there with Kira, the only girl."

"Wait a minute," Tanya said. "Why did Tommy bring his students with him?"

Zach shrugged.

"Probably because they wanted to come," he answered. "Tommy is good friends with Trent's dad. He probably couldn't come, so the kids came with Tommy instead. They hang out all the time. Trent even works at Hayley's internet café. My guess is they wanted to come to Power Ranger week—what with all the stuff that happened in Reefside. I'm sure you saw the news about the Dino Thunder rangers, right?"

Rocky and Tanya both nodded.

"Makes sense," Rocky agreed.

Tanya was just starting to ask another question when something else caught their attention and they all turned to look.

"Mark!" Trini was exclaiming. "You shouldn't do that!"

The little boy had stuck a French fry up his nose and couldn't get it out. Sophia, who had been sitting next to him, tried to copy Mark. But Aisha took the French fry away.

"No, Sophia," she scolded gently.

Tears immediately welled up in the two-year-old's eyes and she started wailing. Jumping up, Rocky hurried to help Aisha.

"I think it's time for a nap," Aisha said.

With the gathering thoroughly broken up for the moment, the rangers started getting ready to go for the afternoon. As they all headed out the door, waving goodbye to Ernie, promising to be back the next day. More hugs were exchanged all around in the parking lot and the group split up, climbing in to their vehicles. Kim, Ken, Zach, and Billy all squeezed in to Jason and Trini's van with Mark in his car seat. They were all going to be staying at the Scott house for the week. Rocky, Aisha, and Sophia were in Adam's, heading to a nearby hotel while Kat followed in her own car, Tanya riding with her. They'd reserved a few rooms next to each other so they could stay close.

"Well that was—fun," Tommy muttered, wincing as he and Hayley climbed in to his jeep. "It was nice seeing Ernie again. He's done a great job with the place. I love the new set up."

"It's amazing," Hayley agreed as they took off, the teens following in Conner's car. "I think it was a really good choice to put the computer center in. And he didn't even have to take that much space away from the gym area to fit it in."

"And the new equipment looks great," Tommy said. "Too bad I'm not allowed to use any of it right now."

Hayley just raised an eyebrow, glancing over at him for a moment before focusing on the road again.

"Hayley," Tommy said, frowning. "Why are you following Adam?"

"I'm not," she said. "I'm going to our hotel."

"Oh boy," he muttered.

They stayed behind Adam and Kat's vehicles the entire way, pulling in to the same hotel parking lot. Seeing Tommy and crew pull in behind them, Adam climbed out of his car with a grin.

"Guess we had the same idea," he said, walking over to Tommy. "What rooms are you in?"

"No idea," Tommy shrugged. "I didn't make the reservations."

Behind Adam, Tommy could see Kat eying him. They still hadn't said more than a few words to each other. Hayley had made it her mission never to leave them alone together.

"Adam!" Tanya called by their car. "Come on! Let's get checked in so we can figure out dinner."

Shaking his head, Adam turned and jogged back over to Tanya, grabbing a duffle bag out of the trunk. Hayley, who had just sent Ethan to get a luggage cart, was starting to pull things out of the vehicle.

"Go sit down," she said as Tommy tried to help. "You should be resting. Remember, the doctor said you weren't allowed to lift anything at all right now."

"Hayley," Tommy protested.

"Nope," she said. "Go wait in the lobby. Ethan, Conner, and I can get everything on the cart. Why don't you get us checked in?"

Sighing, Tommy turned and headed inside.

"The same goes for you two," she said, turning to Kira and Trent. "Dr. Walsh said you were supposed to stay off that ankle as much as possible, Kira, and you aren't allowed to lift more than five pounds, Trent. So inside you go. We'll handle our luggage."

Not wanting to argue, Kira and Trent headed in after Tommy. Kira dropped into the closest chair, gingerly stretching out her left leg while Trent hovered. Adam was at the counter, checking his group in. Not wanting to sit down, since he was afraid he wouldn't be able to get back out of the chair, Tommy leaned against a column while he waited.

Outside, Ethan, who had been pulling a suitcase out of the trunk of Conner's car, had started coughing. Dropping the suitcase, he was now bent over almost double trying to catch his breath.

"Ethan," Hayley sighed. "Please sit down. Concentrate on taking even breaths."

He dropped down to the ground and, after a moment or two, the coughing subsided enough for him to breathe more normally. But as Hayley straightened up from helping him, she saw Conner leaning into the trunk to grab a bag that had slid toward the back. And he was standing up too early.

"Conner!" she exclaimed. "Watch your head—never mind…"

He'd smacked his head on the inside of the trunk, losing his grip on the suitcase.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, leaning on his car.

"Oh boy," Hayley muttered, shaking her head.

Grabbing him by the shoulder, she pulled him backward, making sure he didn't hit his head again.

"That's it," she announced. "Both of you inside! I'm going to get a bell hop."

Grumbling, both boys headed into the hotel as Hayley went to find a bell hop to help her with the luggage. As they walked inside, Adam was finishing up checking in and handing out keys to the rest of his group. Conner and Ethan both found chairs of their own, slumping in them as they waited for Hayley to come in.

"Hey, man," Adam said, turning to Tommy. "We're on the second floor. You should come find us after you get settled in."

"Yeah!" Rocky exclaimed. "We can order pizza or something and then hang out by the pool."

Tommy raised an eyebrow.

"That would be great!" Aisha exclaimed. "We can all go get settled and then meet at the hotel's restaurant in like an hour. I'll call down there as soon as we get up to the room to make a table reservation for us."

"I think it's a great idea," Tanya agreed. "It'll give us more time to catch up."

"Alright," Tommy agreed, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. "Sounds like a plan."

As the other rangers trooped toward the elevator, Tommy turned to talk to the attendant.

"We have a reservation," he said as the elevator doors closed behind the other rangers. "It's either under Mercer or Oliver."

Nodding, she scrolled through her reservation list.

"Here it is," she said, looking up at him in surprise. "The penthouse suite?"

"Probably," Tommy sighed.

Anton had insisted on making the reservations for them. Hayley finally walked into the lobby, followed by a bell hop pushing the cart. Once Tommy had finished checking them in, they all headed toward the elevators to go up to the penthouse.

"This place is awesome!" Ethan exclaimed, looking around as they walked in. "Look at the TV!"

The bellhop unloaded their luggage as the teens explored the room. They'd told Hayley about dinner plans on the way up. Once the bell hop was gone, Tommy relaxed a little his shoulders slumping as he grimaced.

"Come on, Tommy," Hayley said, taking his arm. "Why don't you lie down on the couch? We've got some time before dinner. All of you should take some time to relax."

Sitting down on the couch, Tommy groaned as he slowly laid back and stretched out. Hayley started sorting through the luggage, looking for the small bag with all of the medicine in it while the kids all looked for a place to sit. When she turned back around, Tommy's eyes were closed.

"Tommy?" she said, walking back over.

He didn't answer. Tommy was fast asleep. Glancing around, Hayley realized the long week had finally caught up with all of the rangers. Ethan was passed out in a nearby armchair, curled up against the back. Trent, who had found a place on a lounger near the window, was also passed out, stretched out on his left side. Kira had disappeared, but Hayley found her quickly enough. She was in one of the two bedrooms, curled up in the middle of the bed. Conner was the only other one still awake, and he was struggling. Leaning against the wall, his head kept nodding and jerking back up as he tried to stay awake until dinner. Sighing, Hayley walked over to the door and pulled out the cot they had ordered ahead of time, setting it up against the back of the couch so no one would trip over it.

"Conner," she said.

He didn't respond right away, his head nodding again. So she walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder. Conner jumped, his head jerking up again.

"Conner," she repeated. "Come sit down."

"Huh?" he said as she tugged him toward the cot.

"Sit," she repeated, a little louder.

He frowned, but sat down on the cot. Grabbing the medicine bag, Hayley grabbed a bottle out and measured some of the liquid into a small plastic cup and took it back to Conner.

"Here," she said, handing it to him. "Drink this."

He stared at it for a moment, blinking his eyes as he tried to focus on it.

"Conner, drink it," Hayley said again.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just drink it," she answered.

After another moment, he finally did as she said and drank the medicine. He sputtered, nearly dropping the cup. But Hayley caught it.

"What was that?" he exclaimed.

"Your medicine," Hayley told him.

"My what?" he said.

"Your medicine," she said again. "Now lay down."

She gently pushed on his shoulder to get him to lay down. He fell backward, his head landing on the pillows she had piled there. Smiling and shaking her head, Hayley pulled a blanket up over him and walked away to rinse out the cup. Doing another round of the penthouse, Hayley made sure all of the rangers had at least one pillow and a blanket.

"I guess we're not going to dinner," she murmured to herself. "I'll just call room service."

She ordered dinner and spent her time sorting through the suitcases and getting ready for bed while she waited for it to arrive. By the time room service came by with her dinner, she was in comfy pajamas and had separated everyone's things into individual piles for morning. Taking her dinner, Hayley made her way over to the couch, grabbing the remote and a book as she went. Lifting up Tommy's legs, she sat down on the couch and laid them back down on her lap.

"This is nice," she said to the silent room.

Situating her plate on the side table, Hayley started clicking through the channels on the TV as she ate her dinner. The only sound from any of the rangers was occasional coughing from Ethan, but when he started coughing she would just pause to listen, just in case he might actually need help. After she finished with her dinner, Hayley settled in to read for a few hours, a movie playing in the background.


	4. that night

Downstairs, Adam sighed as their waiter returned again.

"Has the rest of your party arrived yet?" the waiter asked patiently.

Adam shook his head, but Tanya put a hand on his arm.

"Let's order dinner," she said. "They can order when they get here. There's no point in all of us sitting here hungry if they're just running late."

Nodding in agreement, the rangers all placed their orders for dinner. But Tommy, Hayley, and the kids never showed up for dinner.

Back upstairs a while later, Aisha, Tanya, and Kat sat chatting quietly in Kat's room while the guys were watching TV in Tanya and Adam's room. Sophia was already asleep in the third room.

"I wonder why Tommy and the rest didn't join us for dinner," Tanya mused, stretching out across the foot of the bed. "We didn't even get a phone call…"

"It's probably me…" Kat said ruefully.

She was sitting at the head of the bed, her knees pulled up with her chin resting on top and her arms wrapped around her legs.

"No, girl," Aisha said, shaking her head from where she sat on the edge of the bed. "I really don't think it was you. Tommy looked tired, after all."

"Aisha's right," Tanya said, looking at Kat. "Maybe they just ordered in and forgot to call us. I mean, Tommy's got to be tired and sore after the car accident he was in last week. The past week, which was the last week of school, had to have been crazy for him."

"Maybe," Kat sighed. "But what did happen? I never heard earlier."

"I don't know much," Tanya said. "Just that he was in an accident involving a car. But from the way Zach explained it, it sounds like he may have actually been hit by a car."

Aisha and Kat both gasped.

"But he's going to be alright?" Kat asked.

"He's going to be fine," Tanya reassured her. "I was talking to Trini and Jason about it. I guess his back is pretty messed up and he's under doctor's orders to take it easy. He's not really supposed to move around much. And then you saw his cast, so he must have broken something."

"Speaking of not moving around much," Aisha interrupted. "Did either of you notice that girl—Kira, I think—and the way she was acting?"

Tanya and Kat both nodded.

"I don't think she left that chair the entire time we were there," Kat said.

"She didn't," Tanya agreed. "And she didn't say a word to anyone. I tried to say hi, but all I got was this weird look, like she was frustrated or upset about something. I thought she was going to say something for a moment, but she never did."

"Teenagers nowadays are so rude," Aisha sighed. "So stuck up."

"It was like she thought she was too good for us. We were never like that as kids," Kat added. "And did you see the way the one boy—Trent was his name, I think—was waiting on her hand and foot? He was constantly fetching her something or another. And with his arm in a sling! Honestly, I don't understand why Tommy brought any of them."

"You're telling me, girl," Aisha said. "I know Tommy's friends with Trent's dad, but that's no excuse. It feels like they just invited themselves along."

"And we can't even talk openly with them around," Tanya added. "This was supposed to be a week for us to reminisce about being rangers and we can't say anything in front of them without giving away the secret."

Aisha and Kat nodded in agreement. Leaning back against the headboard, Kat sighed and stretched out her legs.

"Did you get to talk to Tommy at all?" Tanya asked after a moment.

"No," Kat said, shaking her head. "And, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I even want to say to him right now. I'm so confused—"

The door from Adam and Tanya's room opened and Rocky poked his head in.

"Hey, honey," he started to say.

All three girls turned to look at him, glaring daggers.

"Umm… never mind," he muttered, disappearing again and shutting the door behind him.

Rolling her eyes, Aisha turned back to Kat.

"Do you still love him?" she asked bluntly, getting right to the point.

"That's the problem," Kat groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know how I feel. It's been so long since I've seen him that I thought it was all gone—but then I saw him at the Youth Center and…I don't know…Maybe if I try and ignore it the feelings will just go away again…"

"Honey, they aren't just going to 'go away'," Tanya said, sitting up and scooting next to Kat, Aisha taking her other side. "You're going to have to deal with the feelings sooner or later."

"And who knows," Aisha added as she and Tanya put their arms around Kat's shoulders. "Maybe he still has feelings for you. You guys could have a second chance."

Kat just groaned again.

"Girl, we're not saying you need to chase him," Aisha said. "Just try talking to him again, like old times. See where it goes."

"And if nothing happens, then nothing happens," Tanya said. "But then you won't regret it later, like you are now."

Looking up, Kat sighed and nodded. She knew her friends were right.

"Alright," she said. "I'm going to let the past go and just be—me, I guess. And if Tommy still has feelings for me—and can forgive me for breaking his heart—then maybe we can start over."

Aisha and Tanya smiled, hugging Kat in between them. Settling back again, the three girls started going over plans for the week.

"Mmm…" Hayley mumbled a few hours later, stretching as she looked at the time. "Hmm… I guess it's time for bed."

It was after ten. Shifting Tommy's legs again so she could stand up, Hayley yawned and stretched. After doing one final round of the penthouse to make sure everyone was doing alright, she headed to the second bedroom to sleep.


	5. farmers market

Okay another chapter posted. :) hope everyone is liking the story so far (I know not much happening but it will come) Keep reading and shoot us a message with ideas thoughts or just to tell us what you think is going to happen.

Enjoy!

* * *

The next morning the Dino rangers were slow waking up. It took Hayley a lot of coaxing, and then threatening, to get the four teens out of bed and on the move. Tommy got up and dressed fairly quickly, relaxing on the couch again as he waited for the kids to get ready. By the time they got downstairs, the rest of the rangers were already eating breakfast. Hayley and Tommy led the group in to the dining area. Tommy was moving slowly, grimacing as he walked since his medicine hadn't fully kicked in yet. Trent and Kira were behind him. Kira was limping still, but trying not to lean on Trent as he was wearing almost the same expression as Tommy.

"I'll be fine, Kira," Trent said, though she hadn't spoken. "I think I just shifted in my sleep last night and it didn't agree with me. Give it a few hours and I'll be alright."

Ethan and Conner brought up the rear, Ethan steering a half asleep Conner down the hall. Conner was yawning, his eyes barely open as he stumbled after Ethan.

"Ooo!" Ethan said, looking around at the food. "Is that a blueberry Danish?"

"Agh!" Conner yelped, jerking to a stop.

Ethan looked back and realized Conner had just walked into a column face first.

"Oops!" Ethan exclaimed. "Sorry, man."

Conner just groaned, rubbing his head.

"Ethan," Hayley sighed, standing next to the table where Tommy was now sitting. "Watch his head."

"Sorry, Hayley," Ethan mumbled, hurrying over with Conner.

The other rangers watched in confusion as Tommy's group found their seats, most of them seeming more asleep than awake.

"So what happened to you guys last night?" Adam asked, grabbing a chair next to Tommy.

"Huh?" he said, looking at Adam. "Oh. Sorry. We umm… Well, we kind of fell asleep…"

Adam frowned.

"At six thirty?" he asked. "What time did you wake up?"

"About an hour ago," Hayley answered, setting a bowl of oatmeal down in front of Tommy. "It took a little while to get moving this morning. Most of us are moving a little slow lately."

Nodding, Adam grabbed his breakfast and joined Tommy and Hayley to finish eating. The four kids had grabbed a seat at the next table over. Kira and Conner were the only two sitting at the moment, though, the latter with his head in his arms on the table. Trent and Ethan had gone to get food for the four of them, coming back with everything balanced precariously on plates. Trent, despite only having one free arm, was balancing three of four plates. Ethan had his own plate as well as several cartons of milk and a glass of orange juice.

"Here you go, Kira," Trent said, setting her food down in front of her.

She smiled at him, nodding her thanks. Setting his own food down Trent poked at Conner until he lifted his head up. He then proceeded to wave the plate of food in front of Conner's face until it caught his attention.

"Why are we up?" Conner mumbled. "Is it even seven yet?"

"Nope, but eat something," Trent said. "It'll wake you up."

Nodding, Conner took the fork that was handed to him and started shoveling food into his mouth slowly. By the time breakfast was over, however, he had woken up a bit more and was ready for the day.

"You guys ready to go?" Adam asked. "We're supposed to meet everyone else at the Youth Center in twenty minutes."

Nodding, Tommy slowly stood up, suppressing another grimace.

"Let's go," he said.

While Hayley was shooing the four teens away from the food and getting them into the car, Tommy headed out to the jeep. He climbed into the passenger seat to wait for her.

"Hey, Tommy," Kat said next to him, leaning on the door of the jeep.

Tommy turned to look at her.

"Hey, Kat," he said.

Neither said anything else for a moment.

"So, umm… how are you feeling this morning?" Kat finally asked, the words coming out in a sudden rush.

"I'm fine," Tommy said warily, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry we missed dinner last night."

"No, it's alright," Kat said quickly. "I'm sure you were tired, what with the whole car thing and your back and all. I just…well, I wanted to—I missed you, Tommy."

He looked at her in surprise as Hayley climbed in the jeep.

"I may have to confiscate Conner's keys," she was muttering. "If he thinks I'm going to let him drive any time soon, he's got another thing coming—Oh. Hi Kat."

"Hello, Hayley," Kat said hesitantly. "Umm… It's nice to see you again."

Hayley's eyes narrowed, her glare focused on Kat.

"I guess I'd better get to my car," Kat said, backing away from the jeep. "See you both in a few minutes."

Turning, Kat bolted to her car.

"Hayley," Tommy sighed, leaning back against the seat again.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Shaking his head, Tommy didn't push the issue as Hayley turned the jeep toward the Youth Center. When they arrived, Jason and the group from his house still hadn't shown up so everyone else went to wait inside. Kira sat down so she could put up her ankle as long as possible, especially since she didn't know what the other rangers had in store for the day. But before she could grab a second chair, Conner sat down in it. Sighing, Kira poked him in the shoulder, looking at him expectantly.

"What?" he said.

Rolling her eyes, Kira gestured for him to move.

"I don't have to get up yet," Conner protested. "It's not time to get go yet."

Getting frustrated, Kira shook her head and motioned again, this time pointing at her ankle as well. He still didn't get it.

"I got the ankle thing, Kira," he said, making her throw her hands up in frustration. "But I'm still not getting up."

"Umm… Conner," Trent started to say.

But Conner wasn't listening.

"What?" he said again. "If you aren't telling me to move, what are you trying to say? Just spit it out—ok, so you aren't supposed to talk right now. So where's that pad of paper from yesterday? You really should carry that around so people can actually understand you."

Her eyes narrowing, Kira slowly stood up, glaring daggers at Conner. He just stared up at her, not really sure why she was mad at him this time.

"Dude, I'd run," Ethan said, backing away from Conner.

Realizing that Ethan was probably right, Conner jumped up from his chair and bolted, Kira limping after him. Ethan turned his head to watch them go and then grimaced, putting a hand back up.

"Ow…" he muttered. "Too fast."

"Well, if you would wear the neck brace like you're supposed to," Trent said as he watched Kira and Conner's progress.

"Not gonna happen dude," Ethan muttered.

"I'm sorry, Kira!" Conner cried from across the room.

Kira had managed to block his escape out the front door. Now he was looking around, trying to find somewhere to get away from her. The rest of the rangers had just walked in the door and were watching as Kira slowly advanced on Conner, a few of them looking over at Tommy expectantly, as though they thought he was going to intervene. But he didn't move.

"Come on, Kira," Conner pleaded, the bathroom door catching his eye. "I really didn't mean anything bad."

She didn't pause, so Conner turned and bolted toward the bathroom door. And smacked right into it, falling over. Ethan jerked his head around again at the sound, wincing, but burst out laughing. That quickly turned in to a coughing fit. Trent was trying extremely hard not to start laughing, as he didn't want to jar his ribs or his shoulder. Across the room, Kira was standing over Conner, who was groaning and holding his head. Hayley sighed, shaking her head as Kira momentarily put her weight on her left ankle so she could kick Conner with her good foot.

"That door opens out, man!" Zach yelled from across the room, laughing. "You've got to pull!"

Conner just groaned, sticking a hand in to the air and giving Zach a thumbs up.

"Tommy," Tanya said, frowning as she paused next to his chair. "Shouldn't you do something about that?"

Sighing, Tommy nodded.

"I probably should," he answered. "Kira, not his ribs! They're bruised enough for the moment."

She glanced back and him and nodded in acknowledgement, shifting to kick Conner in the leg.

"What?" Tommy said as Tanya looked at him in surprise. "He'll be fine."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Alright," Tommy muttered. "Kira, leave Conner alone. I think we're leaving now."

Both teens looked over at Tommy. Sighing, Kira reached down a hand and helped Conner to his feet.

"Yes we are," Aisha said. "If we want to make it to the farmer's market at all, we'd better get going. They've been open for two hours already. And we've got lots of other places to go to today, so we need to get moving or we won't make it everywhere."

The Dino rangers all exchanged wary glances, not liking the sounds of that.

"Come on!" Tanya said brightly, leading the way out of the center.

"Hey, Conner," Trent said quietly, leaning over to Conner as they walked.

They'd been at the farmer's market for an hour and a half or so, only pausing to look at the various stands. Even though it hadn't even been quite two hours, the Dino rangers were already trailing behind. Aisha, Tanya, and Kat were in the lead, Rocky and Adam carrying some of the things they had purchased.

"Yeah?" Conner said.

Trent glanced back behind him, Conner following his gaze. Kira was the last in the group, limping determinedly behind them and trying to keep up.

"Can you?" Trent asked. "I would, but…"

He glanced down at his sling. Conner nodded.

"I got it," he said, dropping back next to Kira.

She frowned as he stopped in front of her.

"Come on," he said, crouching down. "I'll carry you."

Kira raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Oh, come on," Conner said. "You aren't going to be able to keep up forever, and you'll just screw your ankle up more by trying."

Sighing, Kira nodded and dropped her arms. Putting her arms around his neck, she held on as he stood up, hooking his arms under her knees. Trent and Ethan had both paused to wait for them and the four teens hurried to catch up to the rest of the group before they left the stand they were at.


	6. walking

"Hurry up!" Tanya exclaimed to the rangers. "The play is starting. We're going to miss it."

Finally finished at the farmer's market, Aisha and Tanya had just announced that they were going to a play that was being put on just down the street near the playground. An impromptu stage had been erected, but there wasn't any seating area so the audience would have to stand. Jason and Rocky picked up Mark and Sophia, respectively, and put the little kids on their shoulders so they'd be able to see the play. After it was over, the rangers grouped in a huddle to discuss what was next.

"So what's next on the agenda, Aisha?" Jason asked, Mark still on his shoulders. "Because we should probably feed the kids soon or they're going to be pretty cranky."

"We're heading to the street fair," she answered. "It's been set up a few blocks away. But there are games, and rides, and, of course, there's food."

"We thought it would be nice to eat there while we're enjoying the carnival," Tanya added.

"Sounds great, honey," Adam said.

As the group turned to go, Aisha paused, looking around and frowning.

"Wait a minute," she said. "Where are Tommy and his students?"

Hayley, who had been talking with Kim, looked up.

"Oh," she said. "Right. They're over there."

She pointed to a playscape a short distance away. Tommy and the four teens were attempting to rest on it. Kira was on the swing set. She'd commandeered three of the swings. Sitting in the middle one, she was using a second to prop up her legs and was reclining against the third. Trent was laying in the woodchips next to her, his eyes closed. Conner had crawled into one of the tunnels and was stretched out inside, while Ethan was inside the small fort of the playscape, sitting with his back against the wall. Tommy was on the stairs, his legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned against the outside wall of the fort.

"What are you guys doing?" Aisha exclaimed, marching over. "That's meant for children. And how could you possibly have seen the play from over here?"

Sighing, Tommy opened his eyes to look at her.

"Time to go," he said to the teens, not answering Aisha right away.

"Tommy," Aisha said.

"We saw the play just fine, Aisha," he said, slowly pushing himself to his feet. "And their sound system was great, so we heard the whole thing."

Kira was untangling herself from the swings. Ethan and Conner had climbed off of the play structure and were helping Trent up.

"Is it lunchtime yet?" Conner sighed, talking to no one in particular.

"Yes," Aisha said shortly. "If you'd like to join us. We're walking over to the street fair to check out the carnival games and rides and get something to eat."

"Great," Conner muttered as she strode away. "More walking. Ready Kira—"

He stopped in surprise. Zach was standing next to Trent with Kira already on his back. He grinned at Conner.

"My turn," Zach said. "Besides, light as she is, I still think you'd pass out if you carried her all day."

"Nice save, Zach," Kira whispered hoarsely.

He grinned, glancing back at her over his shoulder.

"What can I say?" he said. "I spent high school with Kim and Trini. I know when to watch what I say—well, most of the time."

Kira laughed.

"How are you guys holding up?" Kim asked, shooting a glare at Zach and starting to fuss over the group. "Do we need to ask everyone else to slow down."

"No," Tommy said, shaking his head. "We'll be fine."

The teens echoed his answer, Kira nodding in agreement. None of them wanted to ruin the fun for the rest of the rangers. Sighing, Kim nodded and looped her arm through Tommy's as they walked. Laughing, Ken turned and offered Hayley his arm.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Smiling, she nodded and took his arm.

"Tommy," Billy said. "This constant movement has to be aggravating all of your conditions. Perhaps it would be best if the five of you went back to the youth center for some rest."

"Billy's right, man," Ken said. "You're going to be dead on your feet by the end of the day at this rate. I'm tired and I didn't go through what you guys did."

"We're fine," Conner insisted before Tommy could answer. "Kira's really the only one who shouldn't be walking, and we've got that covered."

"Conner's right," Ethan agreed. "And, I mean, how much could there possibly be to do today? It's only the first day of the festival after all."

"You just had to open your mouth, didn't you?" Conner muttered several hours later.

The group had spent several hours at the carnival, playing games, enjoying the food, and watching Mark and Sophia on some of the rides. Kira had walked around on her own for a while so she could eat, but when she started falling behind again, Hayley took a turn carrying her on her back. Upon leaving the carnival, they'd all groaned to themselves when Aisha and Tanya announced that they were going to walk around downtown to see all of the decorations that had been put up. There was a contest going on between the local businesses so the whole area had been decked out.

"What time is it?" Ethan asked, ignoring Conner.

"Six 'o clock," Trent sighed.

"And no signs of stopping for dinner," Conner grumbled. "Where are we going?"

"The pony ride ends in the park," Hayley answered.

She'd been constantly moving around, making sure they were all right. Between the four of them and Tommy, that kept her pretty busy. Billy had taken over carrying Kira a little while before. Though with Kim there she had help fussing over the group. Kim was happy to help in any way, and was currently walking with Tommy again. After the carnival and looking at the decorations, Aisha had discovered a pony ride that walked the kids through downtown and to the park. Since the plan had been to go to the park for a few hours anyways, they decided to let Mark and Sophia ride. But the ride took the long way around, increasing the walk for the rest of the group.

"Great," Ethan muttered. "And how far is that?"

"Still several blocks away," Trent sighed.

The moment they reached their destination, the Dino thunder rangers all hit the ground, stretching out and taking a moment to relax. But they didn't get long to stay there.

"Come on!" Tanya exclaimed with a smile. "We've got a Frisbee and a beach ball. Let's play some games for a while before the walk at nine."

"Walk?" Ethan said. "What walk?"

"Oh," Aisha said. "There's a candlelit walk tonight to kick off the festival. It's in honor of everything the power rangers have done for the city."

"Great," Tommy mumbled, his eyes closed as he lay stretched out in the grass.

The other Dino rangers eyed each other from where they were laying. Zach snorted, shaking his head, but Kim swatted him on the arm.

"Alright, settle down," Jason said. "It'll be a nice thing to see. So let's spend some time relaxing here while we wait. Who wants to play a game of Ultimate Frisbee?"

A chorus of yes's went around the group. Pulling a Frisbee out of a backpack, the rangers started dividing up into teams.

"Old team vs. new team!" Rocky crowed, grinning as he looked around at the group.

"Sure, why not?" Jason smirked as the rest of the rangers agreed.

"Wait a minute," Ken said, shaking his head. "What about us?"

He and Hayley were standing off to one side, looking at the rangers expectantly.

"Oh, right," Jason said. "We'll take Hayley."

"Hey!" Ken exclaimed, looking at Kim.

She just laughed, standing on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss.

"Sorry, honey," she said. "But Hayley is scarier than you are. Don't worry, we'll take it easy on you."

"Yeah, yeah," Ken grumbled, going over to join the other team.

"What about you guys?" Adam asked, looking over at the Dino rangers.

They exchanged glances and then shook their heads.

"Nah," Ethan answered.

"We're going to sit this one out," Conner added.

"Alright…" Adam said slowly.

"Give them the beach ball," Tommy inserted, not moving. "They can entertain Mark and Sophia while you guys play. Then the kids won't be underfoot."

"Great idea, Tommy!" Aisha exclaimed.

She and Trini brought the kids over to where the teens were sitting as Adam tossed them the beach ball. Hayley was standing with her arms crossed, looking down at Tommy.

"You need to take your pain meds," she said.

"I'm fine," Tommy mumbled.

"Mmm hmm…" she said, raising an eyebrow. "You haven't taken anything for hours, Tommy, and you've been on your feet almost all day. Plus, if you lay like that much longer you won't be able to get up."

"Hayley," Tommy sighed.

"Come on, bro," Jason interrupted. "Don't make me sit on you."

Tommy snorted, shaking his head.

"Like your two-ton weight is going to help anything," he said.

"Hey!" Jason exclaimed. "At least you would take your medicine. You'd be in enough pain."

"I'd be broken," Tommy retorted.

Hayley rolled her eyes as she dug through her bag for his medicine.

"You know, Tommy's right, honey," Trini said, walking over from where she'd set down Mark. "You aren't the same size you were in high school."

"Well neither is he," Jason grumbled, letting Trini pull him back to the others.

Tommy started laughing and then winced. Sighing, he slowly pushed himself back up so he could take the medicine Hayley was offering. Once he'd taken his, she moved over to Trent to give him his pain medication. Satisfied that they were alright for the moment, she hurried over to join the game.


	7. night 1

A couple of hours later, they finally called the game because of the time. It was starting to get dark out and approaching time for the walk to begin. As the rangers started gathering their things together, some of them limping and moving slowly now, the Dino rangers pulled themselves to their feet.

"Man, you guys play hard," Ethan commented as Zach limped passed him.

"Only way to go," Zach said. "Though it hurts a lot more than it used to..."

Conner and Ethan both burst out laughing. Since Hayley was preoccupied arguing points with Rocky, Ken came over and helped Tommy to his feet.

"How's your back feel, man?" Ken asked. "You gonna make it?"

"I'll survive," Tommy said, running a hand through his hair.

"And if you don't, Jason and I will just haul you out of there, I've carried bags of cement that are probably bigger them you," Ken said with a grin.

Laughing, Tommy shook his head. A short time later, with both kids riding on their dads' shoulders, the rangers all headed to the starting point of the walk. Conner was once again carrying Kira, despite her silent protests that she'd had enough time to rest her ankle. When they arrived at the starting point, a few of the group ran to get candles for everyone. Jason and Rocky both declined candles, wanting to keep the flames as far away from the four-year-old and two-year-old as possible. Tommy didn't take one either as he was now leaning against Hayley. She held one for both of them with her free hand. Conner and Kira both refused candles as well since his arms were hooked under her legs and she didn't want to drip hot wax on him.

"Good call," Conner muttered. "I've got enough burns as it is."

There was a fairly large turnout for the walk. The rangers found a spot in the middle as the mass of people started moving, following a guide. They wanted to be around people, but they also made sure not to stand too close to anyone so they could talk. Aisha, Kat, and Tanya led the group, followed closely by Adam and Rocky with Sophia.

"I love how many people are here," Tanya whispered, looking around. "Can you believe the turnout?"

"Shoot, girl," Aisha said. "I'd be surprised if there wasn't a big turnout. I mean, look at how many times we saved the city from complete destruction."

"Aisha's right," Kat agreed. "Though it would be nicer if we could all share memories. Having Tommy's students here makes things, well—difficult."

Tanya and Aisha both sighed, nodding in agreement.

"We can't say anything ranger related around them…" Tanya said. "I really wish Tommy had just left them in Reefside."

"They aren't that bad," Adam said, overhearing the girls. "And it's not like we can talk about just anything in this crowd anyways."

"Adam," Tanya said. "They've hardly participated in anything we've done today. Tommy is understandable because he's injured, but the four kids have no excuse. Kira's been the worst. She doesn't talk to anyone about anything and she's been carried around for most of the day."

"No kidding," Aisha said, agreeing with Tanya. "Girl, that girl is stuck up."

Putting his hands up, Adam dropped back next to Rocky again, not wanting to get into a debate.

"Though we should probably excuse Trent, too," Kat mused. "His arm is in a sling."

"And running around doing everything for Kira," Tanya pointed out.

"Can't we just focus on the walk?" Adam sighed. "Let's listen to what other people are saying for a while. This is supposed to be a time for memories and reflection, remember?"

The walk finally came to an end near the park, which had been the site of many of the ranger battles. As the crowd started dispersing, the rangers gathered into a group to discuss dinner plans.

"So what does everyone want to eat?" Tanya asked, looking around the group.

"Somewhere we can sit down," Kim said, glancing over at Tommy and the kids. "We've been on our feet almost all day."

Everyone agreed with the suggestion and they started throwing restaurant suggestions around.

"Though we should keep in mind that several of the local establishments may be closing shortly," Billy said before they could get too far. "It is rather late."

It was going on ten 'o clock.

"Billy's right," Tommy inserted. "Why don't we just go to a buffet? There's a few still open. That way we don't have to wait for our food and everyone can eat what they want and as much as they want."

"Sounds good to me," Rocky grinned.

Aisha rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"That'll be perfect," she said. "Tanya or I will call ahead to get us a table—or two…"

It took some time for them to make their way to the cars, which were still parked at the Youth Center. Once they were all loaded and ready to go, Adam took the lead in his car as Aisha had made the reservations and had the directions. Tanya was still riding with Kat. Fortunately the restaurant wasn't far away and it wasn't long before they were parking again and climbing out of the cars. Aisha and Tanya led the way inside, telling the hostess they had made a reservation.

"Oh man," Zach muttered a few minutes later. "It feels good to sit down."

They were at their table now, which was actually several tables pushed together to accommodate the fifteen rangers plus Ken, Hayley, Mark, and Sophia in a high chair. The Dino rangers were clustered together at one end, all of the looking exhausted. Hayley was sitting next to Tommy. Tanya, Kat, and Aisha were sitting at the opposite end with Adam and Rocky, Sophia placed between her parents. The rest of the group was spaced between them, Mark sitting between Trini and Jason.

"You're telling me," Tommy mumbled, sighing in relief.

Going in smaller groups, the rangers got up to get their food. They didn't want to swarm the buffet all at once since there were other customers in the restaurant. As they came to the table with their food, the rangers started catching up some more since they weren't on the move any longer.

"So how did the tour go, Tanya?" Kim asked as she sat back down.

"It was great," Tanya smiled. "We went to so many different places and a lot of our shows sold out. Adam and Zach were wonderful help—most of the time anyways."

"Hey!" Zach and Adam exclaimed.

"Sorry, dear," Tanya said, patting Adam on the arm. "I'm mostly referring to Zach and his—distracted moments. You're a wonderful manager."

"Ok, so I lose focus once in a while," Zach muttered. "The dancers were always ready on time."

"Which is why I'm not really holding it against you," Tanya said. "And, of course, Kat was a huge help with our costume and stage clothes design. She got everything perfect."

Kat blushed, ducking her head.

"I wanted everything to be just right," she said. "I mean, I do that for all of my clients, but having a friend ask is special. Especially with everything we've been through together."

"Have you ever designed for gymnasts?" Kim asked.

Kat looked over at her in surprise, pausing before she answered.

"Actually, no," she said. "Though I suppose it must be similar to designing for dancers as they need to be able to move. I will have to give it a try."

"If you need anyone to test ideas," Kim grinned, "my students would love the chance to model for you. And we can always use help coming up with new costumes for competitions."

"How is the gym doing?" Tanya asked.

"I love it," Kim answered, beaming. "My students are amazing and so excited to learn. There are several who I think have a good shot at the Olympics in a few years, as long as they keep up the hard work."

"That's great!" Trini exclaimed. "You'll have to keep us updated. We'd love to watch your students compete."

"Of course," Kim smiled.

"I will have to be update via interspace communications," Billy sighed. "As I do not know for certain the next time I will be back—"

"From Uganda!" Aisha interrupted quickly. "Billy's been living over in Africa."

Frowning, Billy glanced around in confusion. But he let it go, assuming Aisha had noticed someone listening to their conversation. Tanya looked at Aisha, raising an eyebrow.

"It was the first place I could think of," Aisha hissed quietly to Tanya before addressing the group again. "But that's how Billy and I have been keeping in touch. I send groups out there all the time for my organization and I always make sure to talk to Billy when they're in the area."

"Uh-huh," Jason said, looking around, too. "So, what kind of organization is it again? I remember Trini saying something about it that she heard from Kim, but can't remember the specifics."

"Oh!" Aisha exclaimed, smiling. "My organization works with remote villages in Africa. We do things like bring them food, medicine, and other supplies. We also do things like building houses. The same stuff I worked on when I was living in Africa, while I had time away from my veterinarian training. Except now I organize and send the groups instead of being over there myself."

"Well I for one am glad you came back," Rocky declared.

"Yes, dear," Aisha smirked. "Because you would be lost without me."

"I would not—ok, I probably would be," Rocky muttered. "But at least you can work from home most of the time, especially with my schedule constantly changing."

"What are you doing right now, Rocky?" Trini asked curiously.

"He's a cop," Aisha answered for him.

The rangers looked at him in surprise.

"What?" he said, confused.

"They let you have a gun?" Zach finally sputtered. "And you haven't shot yourself in the foot yet?"

"No I haven't!" Rocky protested as the group burst out laughing. "And I'm a good cop!"

"No one said you weren't, dear," Aisha said soothingly. "And no one really thinks you're going to shoot yourself in the foot."

"Ken almost did last week," Kim said drily, looking at her husband.

"In my defense," he said, "the last time I had touched the gun it had its safety on. It's not my fault someone else used it without telling me and forgot to turn the safety back on."

"You're a cop, too?" Rocky exclaimed.

"Carpenter," Ken corrected. "I work with a couple of different contractors in the area and help Kim out with equipment around the gym. That's actually how we met down in Florida. I was helping with construction for the competition sites."

"Then why did you have a gun?" Rocky asked.

"Nail gun, Rocky," Kim said. "Not an actual gun. Though I'm sure it wouldn't have felt much better."

"Not really," Ken said, shaking his head.

"Ken's a lot better carpenter than they're making him sound," Trini said, rolling her eyes. "He helped Jason with the dojo renovations a few years ago."

"Yeah," Jason said, rubbing hand over his head. "And got it done way faster than I would have on my own, not to mention correctly."

"How have things been going since the reno?" Ken asked. "Got enough space now."

Jason nodded, moving Mark's cup away from the edge of the table again.

"It's been great," he said. "I've got more students than ever. They're keeping me on my toes. But I've got some of my more advanced students running the beginner classes now, so that frees up some of my time. Trini does like to see me at home once in a while."

She rolled her eyes.

"More than once in while would be nice," she said. "Though I'm am grateful that you own the dojo now. That way I can just drop Mark off when I get called in to sub at the schools."

Jason nodded in agreement.

"Mark loves running around the dojo," Trini added. "Jason says he follows some of the regular students around, trying to copy him."

The rangers laughed.

"So what grades do you sub for, Trini?" Tanya asked.

"Kindergarten through high school," Trini said, shrugging. "Wherever they need me."

"Tommy teaches high school science," Zach inserted. "Right Tommy? Tommy?"

He had looked down the table at Tommy, who was leaning on his hand still, eyes open. But he didn't respond when Zach spoke to him. Frowning, Hayley reached over and poked Tommy in the shoulder. He jerked in surprise, looking around.

"What?" he said, blinking as he rubbed a hand across his face.

"Dude," Zach said. "Were you sleeping with your eyes open?"

"Again," Hayley sighed in answer, shaking her head.

"Wait a minute," Conner said, sitting down with yet another plate. "Dr. O has fallen asleep with his eyes open before?"

"Yeah," Tommy yawned. "How else do you think I made it through staff meetings? They get boring fast."

Several of the rangers laughed, Zach nearly snorting his drink out of his nose.

"Have you done that in class?" Ethan asked curiously.

"Once or twice," Tommy muttered, leaning on his hand again. "But only after long days dealing with Mes—"

He paused as a waiter came by their table.

"Dealing with exams and such," he said. "And only during your tests. What did you think I was doing? Just staring at the class the entire time?"

"I thought you were watching for cheating…" Conner mumbled.

"I don't need to catch students to recognize cheating, Conner," Tommy said drily.

"It was only one time!" Conner protested. "And I only copied two of Ethan's answers before I decided it was a bad idea…"

"Hey!" Ethan exclaimed, turning to glare at Conner.

"Don't worry, Ethan," Tommy said, yawning again. "I didn't mark you down for it. Just Conner."

But Ethan continued to glare at Conner, who hopped up to get more food.

"Dude," Rocky said, watching Conner walk back up to the buffet. "How many plates of food is he gonna eat?"

The teens looked at Conner's stack of plates and shrugged.

"He's only on plate six," Trent said. "He could keep going for a while."

The older rangers all looked at Conner in shock, staring at him as he came back to the table. He froze next to his seat for a moment and then sat down slowly, looking at Tommy.

"I swear, Dr. O," he said. "I didn't do anything."

"You're fine, Conner," Hayley laughed. "They're just surprised by your—eating habits."

"Oh," Conner said, shrugging and going back to his food.

"And you wonder why my teacher's salary didn't go very far," Tommy muttered, glancing at Jason. "I couldn't keep food in the fridge. Actually, I still can't."

"Man," Jason said, shaking his head. "What do his parents do?"

"I don't think they noticed," Conner said with a mouthful of food. "But that might be because I'm always eating at Dr. O's house."

"He's a true bottomless pit," Tommy grumbled.

"I didn't always eat like this," Conner protested.

The rest of the Dino rangers looked at him.

"I didn't!" he said.

"Anyways," Tommy said, trying to forestall an argument. "What's the plan for tomorrow? Not to mention the rest of the week. I'm assuming you have a plan, Tanya."

She nodded.

"I don't have anything set in stone as of yet," said Tanya. "But there are a lot of things to do this week. We'll definitely be busy."

Tommy sighed, nodding as the rest of the Dino rangers exchanged glances.

"There's the dunes, of course," Tanya said. "And we definitely need to spend more time at the street fair."

"Of course, girl," Aisha said. "I want to get pictures of Sophia with her face painted."

"Mark, too," Trini chimed in.

"And there's the parade on Saturday," Kat added.

"We could also do the bike tour later in the week," Aisha suggested.

Down at the other end of the table, the teens kept glancing at Tommy, pleading looks on their faces. They didn't want to ruin anyone's fun, but they were afraid they weren't going to be able to keep it up all week. Kira had leaned forward, burying her face in her arms which were resting on the tables. Taking a deep breath, Tommy spoke up.

"Whoa," he said. "Slow down for a minute. I've got an idea."

Everyone stopped talking to look at Tommy.

"We're going to need a relaxing day," he said. "Especially after dealing with all of the tourists. So why don't we spend a day at my uncle's—well, my—cabin? It'll get us out of town for the day and we can just relax down by the lake."

"Great idea, Dr. O!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Sounds good to me," Conner added, getting up to get yet another plate of food. "And this time we'll actually have our own stuff with us."

As a chorus of yes's echoed around the table, the Dino rangers let out sighs of relief. With that idea in mind, Tanya and Aisha went back to planning out the week. Tommy was picking at his plate now, Hayley scolding him quietly about not eating enough as his head rested in one of his hands, elbow on the table to support it.

"Alright," Tanya announced, getting everyone's attention. "I think we've got a plan set."

The table fell silent as the rangers looked at her expectantly.

"We're going to do the dune hike tomorrow," she said. "Starting bright and early in the morning. So everyone make sure you get plenty of rest tonight as it's going to be a long walk."

"Fifteen miles, right?" Aisha asked.

Tanya nodded. At the other end of the table, Kira's head shot up and she looked at Tommy in horror.

"Don't worry, Kira," Tommy said quietly. "I'll take care of it. I promise."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded as Aisha and Tanya continued through the list.

"We think Wednesday will be the best day to go back to the street fair," Aisha said. "It's the middle of the week and there will be a lot of people who either haven't arrived or who will be relaxing at their hotels, especially in the morning."

"And then Thursday there is a bike tour," said Tanya. "It goes through town and hits a lot of the major battle sites with stops along the way to share stories and—public—facts about the rangers."

Kira looked at Tommy again, but he just shook his head. The other three teens weren't looking excited either.

"We'll spend Friday at Tommy's cabin," Tanya continued. "And then finish up the week with the parade and festivities on Saturday."

No one, besides some of the Dino rangers who were remaining silent, had any kind of arguments. So everyone finished up their final plates of dinner and desert, wanting to get out of the restaurant so they could get some sleep.

"No more, Conner," Hayley said, grabbing his arm as he tried to make one last run to the buffet. "I've got some snacks back at the hotel. Give it a rest."

Grumbling, Conner dropped back into his chair, crossing his arms as he waited to leave. Once everyone had finished eating and paid their bills, the group made their way back out to the parking lot. They didn't all climb into the cars right away, chatting and finalizing who was bringing what for the hike the next day. Glancing around, Tommy caught Jason and Billy's attention. Stepping away from the rest of the group, the three men spoke quietly for a moment as everyone else finally started climbing into their cars.

"Everyone remember we're meeting at 6:30 tomorrow morning!" Tanya called as she climbed into the car with Kat. "Get some sleep tonight."

Jason, Billy, and Tommy finished their discussion, heading back toward the cars. Most of the rangers were already in their vehicles. As Tommy climbed into the jeep, Billy paused.

"Five-thirty sound good?" he asked quietly.

Tommy nodded.

"I'll see you then," Tommy said.

Billy nodded back and hurried over to join Jason, climbing in the open door.

"What was that about?" Hayley asked as they headed toward the hotel.

"You'll see in the morning," Tommy said with a smile, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes.

"Mmm hmm…" Hayley said, shaking her head.

By the time they reached the hotel, Adam, Tanya, and the rest of their group had already gone up to their rooms. The teens were waiting in the lobby since Hayley and Tommy had the keys. All four of them looked dead on their feet, but hadn't dared sit down for fear of falling asleep in the lobby.

"Come on," Hayley sighed, leading the way toward the elevator.

Reaching the room, the rangers dropped their things and started heading for the nearest soft surfaces.

"Uh-uh," Hayley said, intercepting Tommy as he headed for the couch again. "You're sleeping in an actual bed tonight. Another night on that couch is going to kill your back."

She steered him toward the bedroom. As he went to get ready for bed, Hayley turned around to survey the rest of the group, hands on her hips. The teens were all sitting down, already half asleep.

"Alright," she said. "Everyone up and into your pajamas. We're sleeping in proper clothes and beds tonight."

Grumbling, they all pushed themselves up and stumbled toward their suitcases, Kira heading straight to the second bedroom. While they were taking turns with the bathroom, Hayley pulled out the couch bed and got it and the cot ready. By the time the boys came out, everything was all ready and Hayley had disappeared into the bedroom to check on Tommy.

"Should we set an alarm?" Trent yawned.

"Nah," Ethan mumbled. "Hayley will wake us up."

A little while later, Hayley came out of the bedroom again to check on the kids. Smiling, she laughed silently as she shook her head. Conner and Ethan were on the couch bed. Both were already fast asleep. But Conner had rolled over from his side of the bed, one of his arms outstretched and falling across Ethan. Rolling her eyes, Hayley grabbed an extra pillow. Gently picking up Conner's arm, she tucked the pillow underneath. He immediately latched on to it, rolling over with the pillow hugged tightly to his chest as Hayley pulled his blanket up over him. Behind the couch, Trent was stretched out on the cot, his arm propped on a pillow tucked against his side. Satisfied that the boys were alright for the night, she made sure the door was locked and turned off the lights. Before going to her own bed, Hayley poked her head in to check on Kira. She was curled up in the middle of the bed under the sheets, her ankle propped up underneath the blankets. Closing the door quietly behind her, Hayley headed to bed.


	8. The hike

Okay guys sorry about the wait but i was out of the chunks of story i had already uploaded and my computer was under repair. :P I have it back now and it is wonderful so updates will be a bit faster after this weekend :) I hope everyone enjoys where we go with this story we got a bit carried away so it's a long one and we are just getting started. We want to know what you think so we can improve our stories inprogress and to come so keep reviewing and share the love! Enjoy till next time

-superdory57 out!

* * *

The next morning, she waited as long as possible before waking the teens up. Ordering room service for breakfast, she started waking them up around 5:45. Tommy was already gone.

"Time to get up, boys," Hayley said, turning on the lights in the main room. "We need to leave in a half hour. Food will be up in ten."

Trent was the first one to sit up, pushing himself up with his good arm and yawning. Ethan yawned, rolling over and sitting up, his feet on the floor. But Conner just rolled over and tried to hide under his blanket.

"Nope," Hayley said firmly. "It's time to get up. And make sure you dress appropriately for the day. We're going to be outside in the sun for a long time."

She walked over and pulled the blanket away from him. Groaning, Conner just curled in to a tighter ball.

"We'll get him moving, Hayley," Trent said, yawning again. "Don't worry."

Nodding, Hayley left Conner to his friends and went to make sure Kira was moving. Kira, who had actually set her own alarm, was sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing her eyes when Hayley knocked. Kira yawned as she glanced over, climbing carefully to her feet.

"Food will be up soon," Hayley told her. "Dress comfortably. I'll help you wrap your ankle when you get out here."

Kira nodded as Hayley shut the door behind her. Hayley turned back toward the living room just in time to see Conner rolling off the bed onto a pile of pillows, Trent standing over him. Ethan was on the bed, and was the one who had pushed Conner off of the bed. Rolling her eyes, Hayley ignored them in favor of answering the knock at the door.

By six-thirty, Hayley was pulling up to the parking lot near the starting point in Tommy's jeep, the teens with her. Tommy had left at five-thirty, Billy picking him up. They piled out of the jeep, still yawning as they joined the group.

"Where's Tommy?" Adam asked.

The teens shook their heads, not having any idea where he'd gone.

"He'll be here soon," Hayley answered. "He's with Billy."

"Hayley," Tanya said hesitantly, walking over and glancing quickly back at Aisha and Kat. "Are you going to be comfortable in that all day? It is just a nature walk after all."

Raising an eyebrow, Hayley looked down at herself. Instead of wearing casual jean shorts and t-shirts like most of the rangers, she'd put on workout clothes meant to keep her cool. She'd also worn her trail running shoes instead of regular tennis shoes. With her hair pulled back off of her neck and hat on her head, she was ready to hit the trail. She also had a small pack, close fitting pack on her back that was filled with water bottles, snacks, sunscreen, and a small first aid kit. The four teens were dressed similarly, having taken Hayley's advice. Kim and Ken were the only ones who had dressed similarly out of the rest of the group.

"I'll be fine," Hayley said. "But thank you for the concern."

Tanya didn't get a chance to say anything else, because the rest of the group had started moving toward the starting point of the trail. There was still no sign of Tommy or Billy, but Hayley insisted they would be there soon, grabbing a larger bag out of the back of the jeep before following the rangers. Mark was walking with Jason, but Rocky and Aisha had brought a carrier that Rocky was wearing on his back. Sophia was currently sleeping inside of it, rocking as her dad moved. When the group arrived, they all stopped short in surprise. Tommy and Billy were already there, waiting for them. They were each standing next to a dune buggy, one red and one green.

"Tommy!" Aisha exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

He shrugged, straightening up from where he'd been leaning against the buggy.

"I can't walk that whole way with my back as it is," he said.

"Oh," Aisha said. "I didn't think about that… But why two?"

Tommy didn't answer right away. Jason had walked over.

"I so get the red one," Jason interrupted, grinning.

Laughing, Tommy tossed him a set of keys without arguing. Aisha looked at him in surprise.

"Sorry, Aisha," Jason said, putting up his hands. "But I know Mark. He's not going to let me or anyone else carry him without throwing a tantrum the entire way and he's too young to walk it."

Without waiting for her answer, Jason scooped up Mark and headed toward the red dune buggy. Rolling her eyes, Aisha started organizing the packs everyone had brought with food and stuff for lunch, trying to decide who was going to carry the cooler. While the other rangers were busy, Tommy jerked his head, motioning for the rest of the Dino rangers to join him.

"This is great, Dr. O," Conner said with a grin. "Can I drive?"

"No," Tommy said. "You're riding. Everyone load up."

Grinning, the teens headed for the buggies. Trent helped Kira up into the front seat of the green one, where she immediately propped both feet up on the dashboard and buckled in as he climbed in to the seat behind her. Billy climbed in the back with Trent while Tommy took the driver's seat. Conner and Ethan both hopped in with Jason, Conner climbing in the back as he was buckling Mark in one of the back seats. Ethan took the front seat.

"Aw, man," Zach muttered, staring at the dune buggies. "That is so not fair."

"Come on," Jason sighed. "We've got room for one more, even if it's you."

"Yes!" Zach exclaimed, punching the air.

"But you're all going to have to share foot space," Hayley said, carrying over the larger pack she had grabbed. "Because I am not lugging this all the way out to the observation point."

"Fine with me," Zach said, taking the pack from Hayley and climbing into the back with Mark and Conner.

A short time later, after a minor debate with Aisha and Tanya, they had loaded most of the heavier things into the dune buggies, tucking them under peoples' feet. Kira had even let them stick the cooler in front of her since her legs were up on the dashboard. As they started the engines, Tommy leaned over the door.

"Ken!" he yelled over the motor. "Wanna ride?"

Ken glanced over at Kimberly.

"Go ahead," she said with a smile, giving him a quick kiss.

"But what about you, Hayley?" Ken asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm going to walk," she said. "I love hiking. And besides, now I can spend the whole time talking with Kim and Trini."

"Oh boy," Ken sighed, shaking his head. "But if you're sure."

Hayley just smiled as Ken hurried to climb into the back of Tommy's dune buggy.

"Hey!" Jason exclaimed. "Why didn't you want to ride with me?"

"You're full up!" Ken called back. "And besides, I'd rather ride with the professional!"

Tommy laughed as Jason shot a glare at him.

"You are so going to lose, bro," Jason declared.

"Bring it on, Jase," Tommy laughed, hitting the gas and leaving behind a cloud of dust.

"Make sure Mark stays in his seat!" Trini yelled after them as Jason took off after Tommy.

Through the dust, she saw Zach's hand go up in a thumbs up. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Kim and Hayley.

"If Mark gets hurt," she muttered as they started walking, "Jason is taking him to the emergency room—not to mention himself."

Kim and Hayley laughed, nodding in agreement.

* * *

Tommy held the lead for a while, leading Jason in circles around the dunes. Eventually he let Jason catch up, just to take off again in a cloud of dust. As they drove in circles, occasionally circling back to see where the hikers were at, the two groups took every opportunity to yell insults at each other, all in good fun of course.

"Come on, slow pokes!" Tommy yelled, zipping past Jason's buggy again.

In the backseat of his buggy, Trent, Ken, and Billy were laughing as the group in the other buggy glared.

"Hit the gas, Jason!" Conner exclaimed, leaning forward. "We need to go faster!"

"I've got a four year old in the buggy!" Jason growled as he sped up.

Mark just laughed ecstatically, clapping his hands in glee.

"Put your hands up, Mark!" Conner said, grinning at the four-year-old next to him.

He put his own hands up in demonstration.

"What are you teaching my kid, Conner?" Jason exclaimed.

"Roller coaster!" Conner responded as Mark copied him, laughing.

"Just make sure he stays in his seat," Jason muttered.

* * *

"We're good," Zach laughed. "He's not going anywhere."

"Up, daddy," Sophia said, holding up her hands to Rocky.

Sighing, he plastered a smile on his face a reached down to pick her up. Again. They'd been walking for several hours now, stopping a few times for pictures along the way. The child carrier Rocky and Aisha had brought had proven to be useless. Once Sophia had woken up, she hadn't stayed in the thing for more than a few minutes at a time. After getting her out and putting her back in for the sixth or seventh time, they gave up, leaving Rocky to carry her. And even then she was constantly wanting down and back up every time she saw something that caught her attention.

"There's the buggies again," Aisha said, shooting a glare toward the dust cloud in the distance. "I still can't believe Tommy went out and got those. We could have figured something else out if he had asked."

Aisha, Tanya, and Kat were currently leading the group, Rocky and Adam following behind with Sophia while Trini, Kim, and Hayley brought up the rear.

"Too late now," Tanya sighed. "I just wish he hadn't taken half of the group with him."

"Or that he at least took Hayley, too," Kat added quietly. "At least if she was in the buggies with the rest of Tommy's group we could talk openly."

Tanya and Aisha nodded in agreement, all three of them glancing back at where Hayley was walking with Trini and Kim, the three women laughing hard about something Kim had said. She saw them looking and smiled, but they quickly looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring.

"Did I do something wrong?" Hayley asked Trini and Kim quietly.

She'd just seen the other three women watching her, but when she'd smiled at them they had just looked away.

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"It's the other girls," Hayley said. "I mean, I know why Kat isn't talking to me, but I barely know Aisha and Tanya. So why are all three of them avoiding me as much as possible?"

"No idea," Trini said thoughtfully. "But it is odd."

"And what's going on between you and Kat?" Kim asked. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

Hayley sighed, glancing over at Kat again. The other woman was absorbed in talking with the two yellow rangers she was walking with.

"We were actually pretty close in college," Hayley said after a moment. "Kat, Tommy, and I hung out all the time. Then the whole proposal fiasco happened and, well, let's just say Kat and I didn't part ways pleasantly…And we didn't speak again until this week."

_Glancing around the café, Hayley paused when she recognized a familiar head of blonde hair. Kat was sitting on the far side, her back to Hayley. Smiling, Hayley hurried over to join her friend, dropping into the seat across from her._

"_Hey, Kat," she said. "How are classes going?"_

"_Good," Kat answered softly. "Yours?"_

"_Their great," Hayley answered. "But I have a question for you."_

"_Sure," she said. "What is it?"_

_Hayley took a deep breath. _

"_Well, it's about Tommy," she said. "I haven't seen you two together lately, but I know you're both busy. Have you talked to him recently?"_

"_Well, kind of…" Kat said slowly. _

_Hayley frowned._

"_Then do you know what's going on with him?" Hayley asked. "He's been acting odd this past week and he won't talk to me about it. I think he's upset about something and I was hoping you knew what it was, because I can't seem to break him out of it."_

"_Oh," Kat said. "Right…"_

"_Kat?" Hayley said. "What's going on?"_

_Kat took a deep breath. _

"_Tommy—" she said, pausing. "Tommy proposed to me…"_

"_He what?" Hayley exclaimed. "That's great! I'm so excit—wait a minute…"_

_She frowned again, looking at Kat. _

"_What happened?" she asked. "Because he shouldn't be so depressed if you two are engaged."_

_Kat sighed, looking down at her hands._

"_Hayley, I said no," she said quietly._

"_What?" Hayley said in shock. "But—why? You two are so great together. You've been dating for what, three years now? You know everything there is to know about each other, down to the darkest secrets."_

"_I know," Kat sighed again. "But—well, my parents had some good points."_

"_Your parents?" Hayley said, staring at Kat. _

"_Yeah," Kat said. "I mean, we were talking about my future and they brought up some valid arguments."_

_Hayley didn't say anything, crossing her arms in front of her as she waited for Kat to explain. _

"_I love Tommy, I really do," Kat said hastily. "But, with what he does… I mean, my parents are just worried that, well—that he wouldn't be able to support me the way I'm accustomed…It's just—"_

_Hayley held up a hand and Kat stopped, looking at her apprehensively. _

"_You mean to tell me," Hayley said slowly, "that you rejected Tommy's proposal because you were worried about money? Worried that he would be able to buy you things?"_

"_No!" Kat exclaimed. "Well, not exactly—I mean there's paying for school and for a place to live and—"_

"_Just stop," Hayley snapped. "I can't believe you, Kat. How can you be so selfish?"_

"_Hayley, please," Kat pleaded. "I didn't want to hurt him, I just—"_

"_Forget it, Kat," Hayley scoffed, standing abruptly. "I never thought you do something like this—letting your parents make your decisions for you, caring more about your lifestyle than the man you claim to love."_

_Turning, Hayley stalked away. Jumping up, Kat rushed after her._

"_Hayley!" she cried._

"_No!" Hayley snarled, whirling to face her again. "This is wrong and you know it! I cannot and will not support this decision. Just—just stay away. From Tommy and from me."_

_Spinning back around, Hayley stormed out of the café, leaving Kat standing alone. _

"Oh," Kim said, a little shocked. "I guess I never realized…But Kira slapping her for you makes a lot more sense now."

Hayley shrugged.

"There were mistakes all around," she said. "When she's ready to apologize—and I mean really apologize—to Tommy, then I'm ready to try being friends again."

Just in front of them, Sophia was wiggling in the Rocky's arms.

"Bu'erfly, daddy," she said, reaching forward. "Down!"

Rocky groaned as the girls laughed.


	9. In honor

Sometime later, Tommy pulled his dune buggy to a stop, waiting for Jason to pull up next to them. They'd been driving around for a few hours, chasing each other in circles and occasionally going back to check on the progress of the hikers, though they'd only gotten close enough to see how far down the trail they were.

"What's up?" Jason asked, coming to a stop.

"Let's head out to the command center," Tommy suggested. "I want to get there before lunch."

Jason nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed. "Let's go!"

He took off again as Mark squealed in delight, Tommy hot on his tail. They drove almost straight out into the desert, heading for a place they both knew well. From a distance, it looked like just another rocky hill, but both men knew the location by heart. They pulled up by the base and everyone climbed out.

"It's a bit of a climb," Tommy said. "But it's not too bad."

"Come on, Kira," Conner said. "I've got you."

Smiling in thanks, Kira climbed on to Conner's back again as they made their way up to where the command center had stood. Ethan stayed close to Trent, wanting to make sure that someone was close enough to catch him if he slipped since he only had one arm to catch himself with. Zach and Ken flanked Tommy, just in case, while Jason carried Mark and Billy brought up the rear, ready to help anyone who needed it. Billy was also carrying a small shovel. He'd gotten some looks from the teens, but hadn't explained.

"Was it this high up the last time we were here?" Ethan grumbled as they approached the top.

They were moving fairly slowly as most of the Dino Thunder rangers weren't in the best shape for the climb.

"Yes," Tommy answered. "But going down is always so much faster…"

As they reached the top, Conner set Kira down and all of the rangers stopped to look around.

"It looks so empty," Trent said quietly.

Tommy, Jason, Zach, and Billy nodded in agreement, sharing sad smiles with each other. They'd spent a lot of time at the command center and it was still hard knowing it was gone.

"So, what now?" Ethan asked, looking around.

"Well," Tommy said. "We're here for you guys."

"Huh?" said Conner, frowning.

"We're here for you," Tommy repeated. "A tradition of sorts that's developed over the years."

"Umm… Ok, I'll bite," Ethan said. "What is it?"

The kids were all eying him hesitantly, not sure where Tommy was going with this. Jason, Zach, Billy, and Ken stayed off to one side, Mark sitting on Jason's shoulders as they waited silently. They were letting Tommy do the talking.

"Relax," he laughed. "It's nothing bad. See that rock?"

He pointed to an odd shaped rock a short distance away. The teens nodded.

"It's a piece of the command center wall," Tommy continued.

"Are we supposed to do something with it?" Trent asked.

"No," Tommy said, shaking his head. "It's what's under the rock."

"Dirt?" said Conner.

Kira rolled her eyes, elbowing him.

"No, Conner," Tommy said. "It's a time capsule."

"A what?" Conner said.

"A time capsule," Ethan said. "You know—you put pictures or mementos inside and then bury it for people to find years in the future."

"Oh," mumbled Conner.

"Anyways," Tommy said. "The time capsule we buried is for us as power rangers. Inside are several pictures."

"Of what?" asked Trent.

"Of us," Tommy answered. "The power rangers. Of the teams over the years."

"Ok…" Ethan said. "And what does that have to do with us?"

"We're here to give the four of you a chance to put your own picture in there," said Tommy.

The four teens exchanged glances, grinning.

"Cool!" Conner exclaimed.

But Tommy held up a hand.

"Wait a minute," he said. "There's something else you should know."

They frowned, looking at Tommy. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo, holding it out to the teens. Conner took it and they all crowded around to look. It was a picture of the entire Dino Thunder team and Hayley, posing down in the lab.

"Hey, Dr. O," Trent said slowly. "We're in costume, but none of us is wearing our helmets…"

All of the teens looked up at him in shock.

"Exactly," Tommy said. "The other pictures are the same way. There's one of every group that worked with Zordon."

"But why us?" Trent asked. "We never worked with Zordon."

"You met him, though," Tommy said. "And by fighting on a team with me, you followed the principles Zordon set forth for us to follow. The code I taught you right from the beginning."

"But aren't our identities supposed to be a secret?" Conner asked. "The code says so."

"They are," Tommy agreed. "But that doesn't mean it always has to be that way. And by the time someone actually finds the capsule, it might be that time. All of us originals started talking about this years ago, not long after the command center was destroyed. But we got a little off track over the years—anyways, we—meaning Jason, Trini, Zach, Kim, Billy, and myself—finally came out here after the whole time travel fiasco to bury it. We already had the pictures and the timing was great since we'd just started talking again… The point is, we all agreed that you guys should have a chance to add your own picture."

Jason, Zach, and Billy smiled, nodding.

"But it's your decision," Tommy continued. "Hayley knows we're here too and she's alright with it, but if any of you aren't then we won't add it to the capsule."

The four younger rangers were silent for a moment, looking at the picture and at each other. One by one they nodded, looking at Conner to make the final call.

"Alright," he said. "We're in. Let's add our picture to the capsule."

Tommy nodded and Billy stepped forward with the shovel. Ken put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me, Billy," he said. "You guys have done a lot for the world. My turn to help."

Smiling, Billy handed over the shovel. Everyone watched quietly as Ken dug out the capsule. When he got down to it, Ken reached into the hole and pull out the small capsule, handing it to Tommy. All of the rangers gathered around as Tommy opened it and pulled out the pictures so the teens could look at them.

"Wow, Dr. O," Conner snorted. "Look at your hair."

Tommy raised an eyebrow and Conner silenced his laugh. There were seven pictures in total. The first was of the original team, Jason, Tommy, Kimberly, Trini, Zach, and Billy, standing in the command center with Zordon and Alpha. In the second photo Tommy was in white rather than green. The group was standing in the command center again, but now Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly were standing with Aisha, Adam, and Rocky. In the third photo the same group was featured, except Kim had been replaced by Kat and they were now wearing the ninjetti costumes. The fourth picture had them switching costumes again, now dressed in Zeo colors, and Aisha was gone, Tanya in her place. Billy was there, but not in costume, and Jason in his gold ranger costume. In the next picture, the rangers had switched to Turbo powers, Rocky had been replaced by Justin, and Billy and Jason were both gone. The sixth picture showed the Turbo rangers again, but the only face that stayed the same was Justin's. Tommy, Adam, Aisha, and Kat had been replaced by TJ, Carlos, Ashley, and Cassie. The final picture showed the space rangers, Andros, TJ, Carlos, Ashley, Cassie, and Zhane, on the Megaship.

"These are great, Dr. O," Trent said quietly.

"There's a lot of history there," Jason said, holding the picture of the original team for Mark to see.

"Daddy!" Mark exclaimed, pointing at Jason in the photo.

"Yep, that's me," Jason smiled, handing the photo back to Tommy.

Tommy collected all of the older photos and put them back in the capsule. He held the capsule out to Conner.

"Your turn," he said.

Conner paused for a moment, looking at the photo and then at his friends. They all grinned, nodding, and he dropped the picture inside. Tommy closed the capsule and put it back in the ground. It didn't take long for Ken to bury it again, patting down the earth so it blended back in.

"Dr. O?" Conner said.

"Yeah?" said Tommy.

"Do you ever wish people knew now?" he asked. "About you guys being power rangers, I mean. That they actually gave you credit for everything you've done for them."

Tommy shook his head.

"Nope," he answered. "We had a chance to help people in a big way. Saving lives and keeping them safe is enough. If we get credit someday far in the future, so be it. For now, though, it's enough that they celebrate the people in the costumes if not the faces behind the mask."

It was a silent climb back down. Kira was on Zach's back this time so Conner could concentrate on not slipping since they didn't want him to end up with another concussion. As they climbed back in the dune buggies, Jason looked over at Tommy and grinned.

"Race you to the point?" he asked.

"You're on," Tommy said. "With a loop by the trail to check on the others."

"Got it," Jason said.

Both of them started up their engines and took off, leaving the command center behind.

"There's the observation point," Hayley exclaimed, pointing up ahead.

Hayley, Kim, and Trini were leading the group now. The rest of the group had fallen behind more and more the further they went. Tanya, Aisha, and Kat were trying their best to keep up with the other women without much success. Rocky, who had been dealing with Sophia the entire walk, was bringing up the rear with Adam, who had slowed down to keep him company.

"And the rest of the group is already there," Kim said, shaking her head.

And they were. Tommy and Jason had parked the buggies out of the way. Between all of them, everything was unloaded and ready for lunch. They were all relaxing now, waiting for the hikers to reach the point. Hayley walked straight over to Tommy, who was sitting on the ground leaning against his buggy.

"Hi, sweetheart," she said, leaning down and giving him a quick kiss.

"Hey," he said. "How was the hike?"

"It was great," she answered, straightening up. "It's beautiful out here."

Tommy leaned over slightly, looking around Hayley as the rest of the group arrived.

"I don't think they agree with you," he said, smirking.

"Huh?" said Hayley, turning around to look real quick. "Oh. Yeah… I don't think they quite understood what it meant to make a fifteen mile hike…"

"Or that it was fifteen miles in one direction?" Tommy added drily.

Hayley laughed, nodding and offering Tommy a hand to help him up.

"How was the command center," she asked as he stood up.

"It was good," he answered, glancing over at the teens.

They were all over by the other buggy with Jason, Zach, Billy, and Ken, who had his arm around Kim. Mark was sitting in the front seat pretending to drive with Trini sitting next to him, smiling. Kira had taken a seat on the front end of the dune buggy, Trent standing next to her while Ethan and Conner were standing with the rest of the small group.

"We got everything taken care of," Tommy continued. "I think they were pretty excited to be included."

Smiling, Hayley leaned against Tommy for a moment and he put his arm around her.

"So I take it your cast didn't inhibit you too much?" she said.

"Nah," said Tommy, shaking his head with a smirk. "Didn't slow me down a bit."

Hayley snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Nothing ever does," she muttered.

A little while later, Tommy sighed as he stretched out his legs. He was sitting in the shade next to his buggy, leaning back against it while he waited for Hayley to bring him lunch. She'd insisted he sit while she helped the others get lunch ready, despite his protests that he'd been sitting since they left Angel Grove. The teens were all relaxing too, though that was partly to keep Conner away from the food until it was time to eat. Hayley had set them to entertaining Mark and Sophia so their parents could have a break. Footsteps next to him had Tommy opening his eyes to see who was joining him.

"Hi!" Kim smiled, sitting down next to him with a plate of food. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he said. "What did you do with Ken?"

"I lost him by the food," she said absently.

She didn't say anything else for a moment, cocking her head to the side as she studied him. Then she set her food down off to one side, just out of the way. As Tommy watched in confusion, she stretched out her legs, laying across the ground and putting her head in Tommy's lap.

"Umm… Kim?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

She smiled up at him.

"Do you remember when we used to do this in high school?" she asked, not answering his question. "I miss this… You have such a comfortable lap."

"He does," Hayley agreed, laughing.

She and Ken had just walked over. Hayley had two plates in her hands while he was just holding his.

"But where am I supposed to put my food?" Tommy protested, looking down at Kim and then up at the plate of food in Hayley's hand.

"Well I'm not going to feed you," Hayley said drily.

Jason, who was going to get Mark to sit down and eat, laughed as he walked by.

"You'd better watch out, Ken," he said. "At this rate you're going to lose Kim to Tommy. Old flame and all."

Ken shrugged.

"That's alright," he smirked, putting his free arm around Hayley's shoulders. "I like Hayley better anyways."

"Hey!" Kim exclaimed, shooting up right and turning to glare at her husband.

Taking advantage of her absence from his lap, Tommy reached up and took his plate from Hayley and setting it in his lap, wincing a little from moving too fast.

"Aww…" Kim pouted, realizing what had happened.

Ken and Hayley both laughed. Hayley sat down next to Tommy with her own plate.

"Come on, honey," Ken said, sitting down next to her. "You can lay on my lap."

Still pouting, Kim sighed and turned.

"But your legs aren't as squishy…" she said.

"Wait a minute," Tommy said, turning to glare at Kim. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She just laughed, taking a bite of her sandwich.

After lunch, the rangers spread out to relax for a while before the hike back. The four teens took it upon themselves to entertain the kids again, pulling a small soccer ball out of the bottom of Hayley's larger bag. Mark immediately joined them, laughing in excitement.

"Just stay away from the cliff!" Trini yelled after them. "We are not equipped to handle that kind of emergency!"

"Got it, Trini!" Trent yelled back, turning to give her a thumbs-up with his good arm as he continued to jog backward.

But there was a natural step behind him that was closer than he must have realized, because he reached it before he turned around.

"Trent!" Tommy called, seeing him about to catch his foot. "Watch out—Nevermind…"

Tommy frowned, shaking his head and rubbing a hand over his face. Somehow Trent had managed to avoid tripping and was hurrying to join the others after turning around.

"Are you alright, Tommy?" Trini asked, looking at him in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "But I could have sworn I just—no, it couldn't have been. My meds have got to be messing with my head…"

"What?" she pressed, frowning.

"I could have sworn I just saw Trent's foot phase through that ledge," Tommy muttered. "But it's not possible. Our powers are gone."

Trini laughed, patting Tommy's arm.

"I think you're probably right about the medication," she said. "Maybe you should sit back down."

"I guess so," he said, turning to go find a seat.

On the other side of the picnic area, Aisha, Kat, and Tanya were sitting at a picnic table chatting quietly. Adam, Rocky, Ken, and Zach had gone to join the teens and Mark playing with the soccer ball.

"Well," Tanya commented, watching the group playing. "That's the most I've seen Tommy's students participate this whole time. And the first time where it actually looks like they're having fun."

Mark, Conner, and Ethan had been chasing Zach, who had the soccer ball. But the two boys were running at Mark speed, which meant Zach was staying ahead of them. So Kira, who was lounging on the ground nearby watching, had stuck her right foot as Zach ran past. He tripped over her leg and went sprawling on the ground with a thud. Mark immediately tackled him, followed by Conner. Ethan was nearly doubled over laughing next to them, his laughter interrupted by occasionally coughs. Kira was smirking as the rest of the players laughed, too.

"You've got that right, girl," Aisha agreed.

"Maybe they're finally going to come down off of their high horses," Kat added. "I would not mind them being here as much if they'd actually have fun with us. I mean, they wouldn't even hike with us on the way here. Look how fast they grabbed seats in the dune buggies."

Aisha and Tanya both nodded.

"Speaking of the hike," Tanya said. "I am so glad to be sitting. I'm really not in the shape I used to be. It was a great walk, but still…"

"I know what you mean," Kat sighed. "I could have done this no problem in high school, but now it takes some effort."

"Being a ranger really keeps you on your toes," Aisha laughed. "We had to be in good shape then. But I'm grateful for the rest too. And so happy that Sophia is napping."

She glanced behind her where the little girl was sleeping on a blanket in the shade. Sophia had passed out almost instantly after she was done eating.

"We need to do things like this more often," Kat said, stretching. "And if we get in shape for next year we could do this again."

"That would be great," Tanya agreed. "And we could go further, especially if Tommy leaves his students at home. If it's just us rangers we can walk out to the command center—"

She cut off what she was saying, seeing Hayley walking over. Smiling, Hayley paused by the table.

"Hey," she said. "I was just wondering when you wanted to start heading back. We don't want to wait too long, after all."

Tanya, Aisha, and Kat all exchanged looks. They'd been so caught up in relaxing in the moment that they'd actually forgotten about walking all the way back. Hayley watched them, waiting for an answer.

"Let's let them play a little while longer," Tanya finally said. "We don't want to interrupt their fun, after all."

"Alright," Hayley said, shrugging. "Just let me know when you're ready to head back and we can start rounding up the troops."

The three women stayed silent as Hayley walked away, going back to join Kim and Trini.

"I wish she'd stayed home too…" Kat sighed quietly. "Hayley's been monopolizing all of Trini and Kim's time. We haven't had a chance to talk to them about anything, really."

"Oh," Tanya said. "I've been meaning to ask. Do you two know each other?"

Kat took a deep breath, looking down at her hands.

"Yeah," she said. "Or at least we did. I knew Hayley when Tommy and I were in college. We hung out a lot and I thought we were close. But—well, things happened and we went our separate ways. I haven't spoken to her in years."

"That's alright, girl," Aisha said, patting Kat's shoulder. "You've got friends. And you don't have to hide anything with us. We already know your biggest secret."

Kat smiled faintly, nodding as she glanced back in the direction Hayley had gone. The other three women were sitting with Tommy and Billy now, laughing as they talked about something Kat couldn't hear. Kim had reclaimed Tommy's lap and was laying with her legs stretched out, occasionally reached up to tug at his hair as he swatted her hand away. Looking away, Kat sighed, resting her head in her hands, elbows on the table.

"She's out of line," Aisha said, shaking her head. "I mean, Ken is just over there and she's practically throwing herself at Tommy."

"I miss being like that with him…" Kat sighed. "It was always so relaxing…"

"Don't worry, girl," Aisha said. "You'll get your shot."

Kat nodded. But something had caught Tanya's attention. She was frowning as she looked in the direction of the soccer game.

"What's wrong, Tanya?" Kat asked, turning to see what she was looking at.

Hayley had left the small group by the dune buggies and was hurrying toward the game. Kat turned around in time to see her leading Conner away from the group, apparently scolding him. It looked like he was trying to protest, but he didn't seem to be getting a sentence out as he tried to keep up with Hayley. The rest of the players were watching her go. Rocky and Adam were standing off to one side with Mark, who was still trying to get the ball out of Rocky's hands. Jason and Zach were crouched down next to Ethan, who was on his knees on the ground, leaning forward. Ken was sitting next to Trent who was stretched out on the ground. Kira was limping in their direction.

"Well, I guess the game is over," Tanya commented.

"I wonder what happened," Kat said as the three of them stood up. "Why is Hayley breaking up the game? They were having fun."

"Who knows?" Aisha shrugged. "But we might as well get ready to go now. We'll have to hurry anyways if we want to make the street fair."

A short time later, everything was packed up and ready to go. They'd loaded everything in the dune buggies and people were starting to climb in.

"Hey, Rocky," Tommy said, stopping by Rocky and Aisha. "Why don't you let me take Sophia? That way you don't have to carry her all the way back."

Aisha immediately shook her head. The two-year-old was currently in the carrier on Rocky's back, still fast asleep.

"Not a chance," she said. "She's asleep and I don't want to wake her up."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jason asked, hearing Aisha. "I know when we used to let Mark nap like that it didn't end well. He was usually up at least half the night."

"She'll be fine," Aisha insisted. "And this way she'll be quiet for the walk back."

Jason snorted, shaking his head as he walked over to his buggy, scooping up Mark on his way. The little boy giggled, kicking his feet as he dangled under his dad's arm.

"Well, if you're sure…" Tommy said slowly.

Sighing, Rocky nodded in agreement with Aisha. Shrugging, Tommy headed back over to his buggy.

"Wanna ride with Uncle Tommy!" Mark exclaimed, trying to wiggle away from Jason. "Faster!"

Jason frowned as Tommy laughed.

"But we went fast, bud," Jason said, setting him down and taking his hand. "Remember how fast we were going?"

"Uncle Tommy faster," Mark insisted, tugging at Jason's hand.

"He can take my seat," Ken offered. "I'll ride with you, Jason."

"Please, daddy?" Mark begged.

Sighing, Jason nodded and let go of Mark's hand. Mark immediately ran over to Tommy's buggy, holding his hands up. Smiling, Tommy reached down and picked him up, lifting him into the back of the dune buggy. As he turned back around, though, Tommy grimaced in pain. Hayley, catching the look, rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You ok, bro?" Jason asked in concern. "That probably wasn't the best choice."

"I'm fine," Tommy said, waving him away.

"Tommy," Billy said, pausing before he climbed in next to Mark. "Perhaps the next time you should refrain from lifting. One of us could easily have placed Mark in the buggy."

Tommy just climbed into the front seat. Kira and Trent were already in their spots. Hayley was standing next to Jason's buggy, talking to Ethan.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hayley asked.

Ethan nodded, suppressing another cough.

"I'm sorry…" Conner muttered, again, from the front seat.

"I know," Hayley sighed. "I'm still not sure how you managed to hit Ethan in the chest and trip Trent all in one go…I can think of better ways to end games."

"It wasn't on purpose!" he exclaimed. "The ball hit Ethan and just flew straight into Trent!"

Hayley raised an eyebrow. Conner muttered another apology as Hayley straightened up and turned around. Tommy and Jason were both starting up the buggies, ready to go. Mark was laughing in the backseat of Tommy's, sitting between Billy and Trent. As Hayley moved away to join the rest of the walkers, both buggies took off with Tommy in the lead. Aisha, Tanya, and Kat took the lead again for the hike. They were followed by Adam and Rocky with Kim, Trini, and Hayley bringing up the rear.

"So how many laps do you think they've made?" Kim commented.

She and Hayley were watching the buggies disappear again in clouds of dust. They'd been back on the trail for several hours now. Hayley and Kim, who had been pacing themselves all day, were now leading the group. Trini was right behind them. A short ways back, Kat, Aisha, and Tanya trailed them. Rocky and Adam were bringing up the rear with Sophia, who was now awake and wanting to run and play.

"Who knows," Trini said. "But next time Jason is definitely walking with me. This would be good for both of us. Heaven knows he could use the exercise, too. I'm barely keeping up with the pair of you."

"Don't worry, Trini," Hayley smiled. "You're doing great. That's why we paced ourselves this morning."

"And I'm pretty sure the rest of the group are wishing they'd done the same," Kim said, glancing back at the other rangers.

"And that they hadn't let Sophia sleep so long…" said Trini.

They could hear the two-year-old laughing and demanding to be put down again.

"Poor Rocky," Kim said.

Kim, Hayley, and Trini were the first ones back to the starting point. While they waited for the rest of the walkers to catch up, they stretched out and relaxed. When Aisha, Tanya, and Kat walked up, they looked exhausted. All three immediately sat down at a nearby table.

"How are you three still on your feet?" Tanya asked, catching her breath. "I feel like sitting down for the next week at least."

"That's why we paced ourselves this morning," Kim said. "The second half is always harder because you're already getting tired. Though you should probably stretch out a little before you sit. You'll be less sore in the morning."

The other three women didn't answer and they didn't get up. Kim shrugged, taking a drink of water. Rocky and Adam finally joined them. Adam was alright, but Rocky looked about ready to fall down. Sophia was wiggling in his arms, ready to get down again. Her long nap had left her full of energy.

"Where are the buggies?" Adam asked, looking around as Rocky dropped down onto a bench at the picnic table, keeping Sophia on his lap.

"Oh, they'll be here shortly," Hayley said. "Ethan just sent me a text."

The roar of engines said she was right. Both buggies came racing in, skidding to a stop a short distance away, Tommy's slightly in the lead.

"Aww man…" Jason muttered as he turned his buggy off. "I thought we had you."

"We win!" Mark laughed from the backseat of Tommy's buggy. "We beat daddy!"

Smiling, Trini walked over to get Mark as Jason continued to grumble. Billy handed Mark out to Trini before climbing out himself. Trent was helping Kira on the other side. The group in Jason's buggy had already clambered out and were helping unload everything.

"So what's the plan now?" Adam asked, looking at Tanya.

"Well, we were going to go to the street fair for dinner…" Tanya said slowly. "But—"

"Perhaps a seated dinner would be more appropriate?" Billy suggested as he took the second set of buggy keys from Jason. "The street fair will still be there in the morning."

The rest of the group nodded agreements. Most of them were ready to stop moving around for the evening.

"Great idea," Tommy said, still sitting in the front seat of his dune buggy. "Billy and I have to go return the dune buggies. Let us know which restaurant you decide on and we'll meet you there."

It was a rather quiet and subdued dinner. The rangers were tired from the long day. They'd chosen a buffet again for Conner's benefit, which was a good choice because he kept getting up for more food. Rocky, on the other hand, was nearly falling asleep in his food. Aisha had to keep prodding him to keep him awake. Sophia, on the other hand, was still wide awake.

"Yeah," Jason said, talking to Trini and Kim. "We hit as many landmarks as we could on the way back before it got dark. Tommy and the group in his car were doing a great job keeping Mark hyped up. He's going to pass out when we get home. Right, Tommy?"

Tommy didn't immediately answer. Jason frowned.

"Tommy?" he repeated, looking over.

"Shh…" Tommy said quietly, glancing down at his lap. "You'll wake him up."

Mark, who had been determined to sit with his new favorite uncle, was fast asleep in Tommy's lap. Trini smiled, shaking her head.

"I think we'd better get him home," she said. "He's had a long day."

They'd paid their bill already, so everyone started grabbing their things and getting ready to go. Trini took Mark from Tommy.

"Come on, sweetheart," she said, pulling him close. "Time to go home and sleep in your bed."

The little boy muttered something incoherent without opening his eyes, snuggling in closer. Out in the parking lot, the rangers split up into their respective cars and headed home for the night.

"Hayley, do you have anything to eat?" Conner asked, looking at her expectantly. "I'm hungry."

They'd just gotten back to the hotel and were starting to get ready for bed. Hayley sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Conner," she said. "You just finished dinner. How can you possibly be hungry?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "But I am…"

Shaking her head, Hayley reached over to a nearby shelf and grabbed a box of granola bars, tossing it to Conner.

"Here," she said. "Please don't eat them all."

Nodding, Conner pulled one out and started eating it as he started looking for his pajamas. By the time they were all ready for bed, he'd eaten through about half the box. Hayley rolled her eyes again, but didn't argue when he climbed into bed, the box still in hand. He'd kept the wrappers from falling all over, so she wasn't going to press the issue. Kira had already disappeared into the second bedroom and had been curled up, headphones on and eyes closed when Hayley checked on her. Trent and Ethan were lying down, too. Turning off the lights, Hayley headed for the other bedroom.


	10. Night time talks

Another chapter down enjoy all!

* * *

"Adam?" Tanya said as she turned off the lights and climbed into bed.

He was already in bed, eyes closed and half asleep.

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

"Have you noticed anything going on between Tommy and Kim?" she asked, snuggling close to him.

"Like what?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

Tanya sighed.

"I don't know…" she said. "I mean, she's constantly hovering…"

"That's just Kim," Adam muttered. "Tommy's hurt, so she's fussing."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Tanya said. "It's probably nothing…"

Adam didn't answer. He'd fallen asleep. Comfortable and sleepy, Tanya left it alone and closed her own eyes.

Jason closed the door quietly behind him before turning and padding silently down the hallway to his own room. Mark had woken up briefly when they changed him into his pajamas, but a short bedtime story had remedied that. He was now fast asleep in his own bed. Trini was in the bathroom when Jason walked into his room, so he grabbed his pajamas to change.

"Well that didn't take long," Trini smiled as she walked out.

"He was tired," Jason shrugged. "I didn't even make it through the whole story before he was out."

"We'll have to thank Tommy again tomorrow," Trini said, climbing into bed.

Jason joined her, nodding in agreement.

"Mark really likes him," he said. "It'll be great once he's recovered. Maybe he'll watch Mark for a weekend and give us a chance to have some quiet time."

Trini laughed, reaching over and turning off her lamp.

"Maybe," she said. "But I think he's still got a ways to go before he'll be back to all of his normal activities. That last fight of theirs was pretty brutal."

"Yeah…" Jason sighed. "I'm just glad they're all alright. The kids are keeping up well, though."

"Were they surprised about the time capsule?" Trini asked.

"Yep," he answered. "Though I think they believed we were crazy for a moment, until they realized the chances of anyone finding that capsule anytime soon."

Shifting, Trini found a comfortable position, her head on Jason's shoulder.

"We're going to have to keep a closer eye on Tommy for the rest of the week," she mumbled. "Because he is determined to keep up with the rest of us as though nothing is wrong. Like picking up Mark this afternoon. He's trying to hide it, but I know his back is hurting him."

"That's nothing unusual," Jason muttered. "He's done that since high school. The whole fiasco with losing the green ranger powers…But I don't think we'll have to worry too much, between Kim and Hayley he's not going to get another chance. And as long as he doesn't go too far, we'll let him think he's hiding it."

"So Hayley was talking to me on the trail today," Kim said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"About what?" Ken yawned, walking back into the room.

"Tommy," she said.

Ken frowned.

"What about Tommy?" he asked.

Kim sighed, falling back on the bed.

"Hayley wants me to help keep an eye on him," she said. "You know how Tommy is. His back is bothering him a lot more than he's letting on, but he doesn't want everyone making a big fuss. I mean, some of the others wouldn't let him do anything if they knew how bad it really is. Jason, especially."

Ken sat down next to her.

"Well that's fine with me," he said. "And I'll help out where I can. I'm probably better than some of the rangers anyways. At least I won't go overboard on the protective thing."

He grinned down at her. Laughing, Kim swatted at him.

"What are you implying?" she asked.

"Nothing bad," he said. "But I think we'd better get some sleep. Especially if you're going to spend the rest of the week babysitting Tommy."

Rolling over, Kim grabbed a pillow and smacked Ken with it.

"Now lay down, Soph," Rocky sighed. "It's time for sleep."

She giggled, but stayed lying down. Taking a deep breath, Rocky straightened up and rejoined Aisha in their bed. It had been his turn to try and get Sophia to sleep. They'd been trying since they got back to the hotel, but the little girl just didn't want to sleep.

"So has Tommy said anything about his students?" Aisha asked as he climbed back under the covers. "Like why he brought them?"

"I don't know," Rocky said. "I didn't ask and no one said anything to me. I guess Adam and I just figured they wanted to see the festival."

Aisha sighed.

"But then why couldn't they just come on their own?" she said, half talking to herself now. "We can't speak freely around them. Or Hayley for that matter."

"But we're still having fun," Rocky said, pulling her closer. "So it doesn't really matter. And if we need to we can always ditch them somewhere for a while."

Aisha opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by a crash. Sophia was up again. Grumbling, Rocky threw back the blankets and went to take care of her.

"I still can't believe we haven't done this before," Zach mumbled, toothbrush in his mouth.

He and Billy were getting ready for bed down in the basement at Jason and Trini's house. Zach was currently wandering around while brushing his teeth, giving Billy a chance to use the sink.

"I mean, it's not like there haven't been plenty of chances," he continued, moving back into the bathroom once Billy moved. "Most of us have been in the area for at least the last few years. Except you. You've been on another planet."

"I do live there now," Billy said pointedly. "Where else did you expect me to be?"

Zach shrugged, rinsing his mouth out quickly and putting his toothbrush away.

"Who knows?" he said. "But we've got to do this again. It's great having everyone in the same place. And maybe we could go somewhere else next time. Can we come visit you?"

Billy shook his head as he walked toward the couch.

"I do not believe a visit to my home would be plausible for all of you," he said. "Particularly for Jason, Trini, Aisha, and Rocky. Mark and Sophia would not adjust well to being in space or living on Aquatar and it would not be practical to leave them with family, and unable to contact their parents, for such a long period of time."

"Yeah…I guess," Zach mumbled, following suit. "So when are you coming back again?"

"I have not planned my next visit to Earth," Billy answered, climbing into his side of the fold-out couch bed. "Perhaps in a few years I will return. It is too long a journey to make every year, and it would not suit my body to need to re-acclimate to the various planetary structures multiple times in such a short period."

Zach didn't say anything for a moment, trying to follow what Billy had said. Shaking his head, he frowned as he climbed into his side and grabbed his blanket off of the floor before wrapping it around himself.

"Uh huh…" he finally said. "But we should do this again."

Sighing, Billy reached over and clicked off the lamp as both men settled in for the night. It was silent for a few moments.

"Wait a minute!" Zach exclaimed, breaking the silence. "Was Jason calling me fat, earlier? You know, when he said they could even fit me into the dune buggy?"

Billy groaned, rolling over.

Sighing, Kat rolled over again, trying to get comfortable.

"I hate sleeping in big beds like this by myself," Kat muttered as she shifted. "It feels so empty… And it's so quiet in here…"

Pulling the blanket up higher, she rolled over again.

"How is it that I'm the only one sleeping in a room all by myself?" she grumbled, then sighed again. "Don't be stupid, Kat—you know why…"

Groaning, Kat gave up on trying to get comfortable and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Alright, enough is enough," she said to the empty room. "You know who you want to be with right now, so do something about it—you can't expect him to just come back to you on a whim. Work for it."

Taking a deep breath, Kat nodded to herself.

"And starting tomorrow, I'm going to," she said firmly. "I'm going to get him back."

Closing the door carefully behind her, Hayley smiled when she saw Tommy stretched out in the bed.

"Are they all asleep?" he mumbled as she clicked off the light.

"Just about," she answered, shaking her head and moving toward the bed. "Conner was the last one up. He took that box of granola bars to bed with him. I think he may have fallen asleep with one in his mouth."

"As long as he doesn't choke…" Tommy muttered.

Hayley laughed quietly as she climbed into the bed, snuggling up to Tommy.

"Ethan is right there," she said. "If Conner chokes he'll wake up—well, I hope he will…"

Tommy chuckled, wrapping his arms around Hayley and pulling her closer.

"And shouldn't you be asleep?" she asked, not protesting.

"I sleep better when you're here," he mumbled into her neck.

"Mmm hmm…" she said. "Go to sleep."

The next morning, Tommy woke up and looked over to see Hayley still fast asleep. He smiled, brushing some hair out of her face before carefully climbing out of the bed. She didn't stir. The last few days of being the first to rise and the last to sleep, plus having to constantly keep an eye on the team, were starting to get to her. So Tommy slipped silently out of the room without waking her up.

"I'll wake her up after the kids are ready to go," he said quietly to himself.

Out in the main room, the first thing he noticed was the box of granola bars on the floor by the couch bed. It had tipped over, spilling some of its contents across the floor. Sighing, Tommy walked over and leaned down to pick it up.

"Mmm…" he groaned, wincing as he straightened up.

Then he paused, staring at the scene on the bed. Conner had indeed fallen asleep with the box on the couch. As proof, there were empty wrappers and few still-wrapped granola bars scattered all over the bed. Most of the wrappers were stuck to either Conner or Ethan. Conner also had a partially eaten granola bar stuck to the side of his face, his mouth hanging wide open as he snored. Shaking his head, Tommy pulled his phone out of his pocket. He'd grabbed in on the way out of the bedroom.

"Hayley's gonna want to see this," he chuckled as he snapped a picture.

He took a quick look to make sure it had come out and then stuck the phone back in his pocket. Taking a few steps back, Tommy took a deep breath.

"Conner!" he barked.

Conner immediately bolted upright, looking around wildly.

"I didn't fall asleep during the test!" he protested as Tommy started laughing. "I—Dr. O! Why did you wake me up? And what's thi—aww man…"

As Tommy continued to laugh, Conner grumbled and removed the granola bar from his face, trying to wipe the sticky mess off. Next to him, Ethan muttered something unintelligible and whipped around a pillow, hitting Conner in the back of the head.

"Hey!" Conner exclaimed, now trying to remove all of the wrappers from his arms.

"Alright, come on, Ethan," Tommy said, still chuckling. "Time to get up."

"Fine," Ethan muttered, rolling over.

Wrappers crinkled underneath him and Ethan frowned, sitting up as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Aww man…" he groaned, peeling a couple of wrappers off of himself. "Conner!"

But Conner wasn't listening.

"I need a shower," Conner grumbled, climbing out of bed.

"Uh uh," said Tommy, shaking his head. "Ethan first."

"But—" Conner protested.

"Well, maybe next time you won't sleep with a box of food," Tommy said, raising an eyebrow.

"Thanks, Dr. O!" Ethan grinned, jumping out of bed.

He bolted for the bathroom, leaving Conner grumbling on the bed.

"What's going on?" Trent muttered from behind the couch, sitting up on his cot.

As an answer, Tommy walked over and held out his phone with the picture. Trent burst out laughing, falling backward on the cot and holding his rib cage.

"Ow—That hurts…" he groaned as he tried to stop laughing. "Don't make me laugh like that!"

"Sorry," Tommy said. "But the picture was a far better answer. Time to get up."

Trent nodded as he took slow breaths. Walking away, Tommy paused by the door to Kira's room and knocked.

"Kira," he said. "Time to get up."

Trusting that she'd get moving, Tommy headed back to his own room to wait for a turn in the shower.

Despite the slightly chaotic start to the morning, the Dino rangers were still the first ones at the street fair. As they waited for the rest of the rangers, they lounged on a couple of benches. Jason and the crew from his house showed up next.

"For the last time, Zach," Jason snapped as they all walked up. "I was not calling you fat!"

"Then what was that comment supposed to mean?" Zach demanded. "Saying even me?"

Jason sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I meant we could put up with having you," Jason said.

"Oh, so now you're calling me annoying?" Zach said.

"Ahh!" Jason exclaimed in frustration, throwing his hands up.

"Annoying?" Mark repeated, tugging Jason's pant leg.

"Yes, Mark," Trini sighed. "Uncle Zach is annoying."

Cocking his head, Mark looked up at Zach.

"What's annoying?" he asked.

Zach immediately looked at Trini and Jason.

"How do you explain annoying to a four-year-old?" he asked, slightly panicked.

"Like this," Jason smirked, crouching down next to this son. "Mark, we'll tell you when you're older."

Mark studied Jason for a moment, and then he saw Tommy and the Dino rangers walking over.

"Uncle Tommy!" he cried, running over and hugging Tommy's leg.

"Well that worked," Zach said. "Really effective."

"He's four," Trini said drily. "His attention span is not his strong suit."

Tommy laughed, ruffling Mark's hair.

"Kind of like someone else I know," he said.

"Hey!" Zach exclaimed.

"Wasn't talking about you, Zach," Tommy said, shaking his head. "I was talking about Conner."

"Hey!" Conner exclaimed. "That is so not cool, Dr. O! I can pay atten—Oh! What's that?"

One of the food booths had caught his attention.

"Case in point," Hayley said, tucking her arm into Tommy's.

"His lack of attention span creates quite a dilemma," Billy mused. "It does indicate that he is highly aware of his surroundings while at the same time proving a lack of focus that could be detrimental in certain situations."

"No kidding," Tommy muttered.

"You understood that?" Zach asked, leaning closer to Tommy.

"I got used to it with Hayley," Tommy answered.

Zach nodded in acknowledgement.

"That's alright," Ken chuckled, his arm around Kim's shoulders. "I think most of us were like that at some point. He's bound to get it under control at some point."

"I don't know about that," Kim said, shaking her head. "Look at Rocky."

"Good point," Ken conceded. "But even Rocky can keep focused when he really tries."

"Try what?" Rocky interrupted, yawning.

The rest of the rangers had arrived in time to hear the end of the conversation.

"Try to focus," Ken answered.

"On what?" Rocky asked, frowning as he looked around.

Ken started to say something else, but Kim just shook her head.

"Don't," she said. "He's still half asleep. You'll just go in circles."

"She's right, though, Rocky," Jason commented. "You look like you're sleepwalking."

"Sophia kept us up all night," Aisha sighed, shifting her daughter to the other hip. "She wouldn't sleep at all…"

The two-year-old was fussing in her arms, crying and clinging to Aisha. Trini immediately looked away, trying to keep comments to herself.

"Hungry!" Mark declared, tugging on Tommy's pant leg.

"Didn't you eat breakfast at home?" Tommy asked.

"Yes," he answered. "But I'm hungry."

"So am I," Conner agreed.

Jason snorted.

"Geez, Tommy," he said. "Didn't you feed your kids?"

"Yes," said Tommy. "Conner twice."

"What?" said Conner, putting up his hands.

"And he slept with a box of granola bars," Hayley said. "The only box."

"Sorry…" Conner muttered.

"Don't worry, Hayley," Tommy said. "I rescued some of them. The ones that weren't half-melted and smashed or stuck to Conner and Ethan along with the wrappers."

"I found one in my pajama pants," Ethan muttered. "No idea how it got there…"

Conner immediately threw his hands up in the air.

"I did not do it," he said defensively. "It was not me."

Hayley sighed.

"Please tell me you threw that one in the trash…" she said.

"I don't know," Tommy said, shaking his head. "I was already back in the bedroom by that point."

"Don't worry, I did," Ethan reassured her.

"But you should see the picture Dr. O got of them," Trent grinned. "It's great."

Kira smirked, nodding in agreement as she leaned against Trent.

"I'm thinking about making it my new screensaver," Hayley said.

"Hey!" Conner and Ethan exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Ethan," Hayley said. "I'll cut you out of that one since you were the victim. It's going to replace the one of you two cleaning the lab."

"I like that one," Tommy commented.

"So do I," Hayley said. "Maybe I'll just make it a slide show. I've got enough pictures by this point."

"Hayley!" Conner exclaimed as she laughed.

"Come on," she said. "Let's find you a snack."

She stepped away with Conner and Mark to find something they could both munch on.

"Lab?" Adam asked.

"Yeah," Tommy sighed. "They were goofing around and Conner had his soccer ball—well, they knocked something over and it spilled everywhere. I didn't want it getting on anyone or anything else, especially with all the traffic going through there on a daily basis, so I made them clean it up instead of waiting for it to evaporate."

"Well, if they make the mess then they should be responsible for cleaning it," Tanya said. "It was the right thing to do."

Tommy shrugged. The group started moving down the sidewalk. Kat, who had been standing silently toward the back of the group, took the moment to move closer to Tommy.

"How's your back this morning?" she asked, taking his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Oh," he said, surprised at the attention. "Hi, Kat. Umm…It's fine…"

"That's great!" she exclaimed, giggling as she smiled up at him.

By the lunch time, the rangers were all starting to slow down, especially the group that had been walking the day before, other than Kim and Hayley. Trini, even though she'd paced herself with them, was sore, too, just not as sore as the other hikers. Even Kira, who was still limping, was moving faster than they were. Kat was still holding Tommy's arm. She'd been talking with him almost nonstop since the group had first started walking.

"Why do you keep touching Uncle Tommy?" Mark asked, looking up at her as they all paused next to a booth.

Kat looked down at him in surprise, letting go of Tommy and blushing as she tried to come up with an answer.

"Cause she's my friend, Mark," Tommy answered for her, ruffling the little boy's hair. "Just like you."

"Oh!" Mark exclaimed. "Ok!"

He hugged Tommy's leg again, laughing.

"You know, it's harder to walk when you're attached," Tommy smiled, looking down at him.

But Mark just giggled.

"My turn!" Kim announced, slipping in between Kat and Tommy before Kat could take his arm again.

She didn't give Kat a chance to argue, attaching herself to Tommy's arm with a smile.

"Kim," Tommy sighed. "Am I ever going to get a chance to walk with anyone else? Or just by myself?"

"You don't like walking with me?" Kim pouted as they started moving again, leaving Kat staring after them.

"I didn't say that!" Tommy protested, walking with Mark still attached to his leg.

"Good," Kim said.

Tommy sighed and just kept going. Kat watched them for a moment and then dropped back to talk to Aisha and Tanya.

"Can you believe her?" Kat grumbled. "That's so inappropriate."

"You said it, girl," Aisha agreed. "She should be spending time with Ken, not hanging on Tommy. She lost that chance a long time ago and there's no going back for her."

She was taking a break from carrying around Sophia, who was currently getting a piggyback ride from Rocky.

"Did you notice the glares you were getting from Hayley?" Tanya commented.

"Yeah," Kat sighed. "But I kind of expected that…I mean, the last time we spoke she did tell me to stay away from Tommy. It's actually a little surprising that she hasn't said anything. The looks I was getting from Kira were unexpected, though."

"I noticed those, too," Tanya said. "I wonder what those are about…"

"I don't know," Aisha said, frowning.

A shout from a short distance away caught their attention, along with the rest of the rangers and all of the people in the immediate area.

"Would you leave me alone?" Conner yelled. "Why are you following me? You're being creepy."

He was standing in the middle of the pathway, glaring at a mime that had been wandering the fairgrounds. The mime had latched on to their group when he saw Conner's initial reaction and had been following them since, making faces and doing funny things when Conner wasn't looking and then acting innocent when he turned around.

"Well that was rude," Trent said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," Conner protested. "But I—well, I don't like mimes…they're weird…"

Ethan, Trent, and Kira started snickering.

"Geez, Conner," Ethan said. "First you have a problem with swimming, now it's mimes. What's it going to be next? Bunny rabbits?"

"They do have teeth," Conner muttered as an answer. "And they're sharp."

The mime looked at him in surprise as the other three teens started laughing harder. Ethan started coughing again and had to walk away to catch his breath. Tommy and Hayley both sighed as the rest of the rangers stared. Shaking her head, Hayley walked over to the mime.

"Alright," she said. "I know you're just doing your job, but—"

She glanced over her shoulder at Conner, who had just scooted around her, and had to suppress a laugh. Taking a deep breath, she held up a hand to the mime, signaling to give her a moment. Turning back around, she almost made it back to Tommy before she lost it. He just raised an eyebrow.

"I can't," she sputtered. "I just can't…"

Groaning, Tommy walked over to the mime and started having a quiet, albeit one-sided, conversation with him. He left Mark and Kim standing next to Hayley.

"Well we know how to freak out Conner, now," Jason commented, joining Kim and Hayley, who was still trying not to laugh at Conner.

"Daddy!" they heard Mark exclaim. "He looks like you!"

Jason spun around in shock to find Mark pointing at a costumed actor who was dressed as the original red ranger, and surrounded by other actors in ranger costumes.

"Jason!" Kim hissed, smacking his arm as all of the rangers stared in horror.

"Oh boy," Jason muttered, rushing over to grab Mark.

He scooped his son up quickly, muttering an apology to the costumed person.

"No, no, Mark," Jason said hurriedly as he moved away from the group of actors. "I'm right here. I know I'm wearing red today, but I'm not dressed as a power ranger. The red in my clothes is the only similarity."

"But daddy—" Mark started to protest.

Jason quickly clapped a hand over the four-year-old's mouth to stop him from saying anything else he shouldn't. Tommy, who had just finished talking to the mime, turned around and looked at Jason.

"Please tell me I didn't just hear that, bro," he muttered, grabbing Jason's arm as he came over.

"Oh, you did," Jason said. "We should probably get out of here. People are staring…"

"Daddy?" Mark said. "Why did you grab me?"

"I'll explain later, Mark," Jason sighed.

"But you're right, Jase," Tommy said. "We need to get out of here. Why don't we go back to the hotel and spend the afternoon by the pool?"

"Great idea!" Jason exclaimed. "Alright everyone, back to the cars and get your swimsuits, we're going to spend the afternoon at the hotel pool."

The rest of the rangers looked at him in surprise, but as there were still people staring at them suspiciously so no one argued as he started shooing them toward the cars. Trini had Mark now while Jason was busy with the rangers.

"We're going to go swimming, sweetheart," she said, trying to distract him. "You get to play in the pool."

"Swimming?" said Mark, perking up and losing interest in the costumed actors.

Trini laughed, nodding in relief. Reaching the cars, everyone loaded up and headed out before they could draw any more attention to themselves.

* * *

Keep reviewing! Ideas, thoughts, comments, corrections, as long as they are respectful we love them all.


	11. Pool time

Okay just so you know This story has a way to go and it can be a little bit slow at some points but we are getting to some important informatino hang in there hope you guys like it!

* * *

When Jason and his group got to the hotel, after a quick stop at the Scott house to get swimming gear, Tommy, Hayley, and the Dino Thunder team were the only ones there. Conner and Ethan were already in the pool goofing around, Hayley shaking her head at them for splashing too much. Kira and Trent were sitting in a lounge chair off to one side. Trent was leaning against the back of the chair, his legs stretched out while Kira sat between them, strumming on her guitar. Tommy was lying on another, stretched out on his stomach, his head in his arms and looking like he was asleep.

"Man, Tommy," Jason exclaimed. "You look like you got run over by a bus!"

"Feels like it, too," Tommy mumbled into his arms.

Tommy didn't have a shirt on, leaving the bruises covering his back completely exposed. The still very-present bruises covered his entire back, wrapping around his sides and his shoulders. Jason stared in shock for a moment. He didn't remember it being that bad when he'd rushed to meet them at the hospital the week before.

"_I'm on my way," Jason said quickly. "Are you going to be ok until I get there or do I need to find a faster way to get to Reefside?"_

_He paused, listening to Hayley talk on the other end of the line as he tried to put his shoes on without falling over, pinning the phone between his shoulder and ear. Trini was watching him in confusion while Mark played in the living room._

"_Alright," Jason said. "I'll see you there, then."_

_Hanging up the phone and shoving it in his pocket, Jason quickly finished putting on his shoes._

"_Honey, what's going on?" Trini asked, the concern visible on her face. _

"_It's Tommy," Jason said. "Hayley's taking him to the hospital."_

"_What?" Trini exclaimed, catching Mark's attention. "Why? I thought they were alright after yesterday."_

"_Apparently not as alright as they thought," Jason said grimly, reaching for the car keys. "He got through last night on an adrenaline rush, essentially. Hayley said when he woke up this morning Tommy couldn't even get out of bed. They gave it a little bit of time, but it isn't getting any better so they're heading to the hospital."_

_Trini gave Jason a torn look. She clearly wanted to go with him, but he shook his head. _

"_Stay here," he said. "There's no point in dragging Mark out there. I'll meet Hayley at the hospital and give you a call if I think you need to come, alright?"_

_Trini nodded, taking a shaky breath. Jason smiled faintly and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close._

"_This is Tommy we're talking about, remember?" Jason said. "He always comes out of everything alright. He'll be just fine this time, too."_

_Giving Trini another hug and a goodbye kiss, Jason rushed out of the house. For the entire trip to Reefside, all he could think about was making sure Tommy got better so he could kill him for worrying them. As he pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, Jason pulled his phone back out and called Hayley again, hoping she would answer and let him know where she was. She answered after a couple of rings, sounding slightly frazzled._

"What?_" Hayley snapped in his ear. _"I'm a little busy right—oh, Jason. Sorry. Where are you?"

"_In the parking lot…" Jason answered slowly, afraid of where the conversation was going._

"Good!" _she exclaimed. _"I need you to meet me over by the emergency room entrance. Please hurry. I can't help all four of the kids at one time."

"_The kids?" Jason said in confusion as he strode in that direction. "What's wrong with them?"_

"What isn't?" _Hayley said in exasperation. _"Just get over here!"

_She hung up the phone before Jason could say anything else, so he just started moving faster. He found her parked outside the emergency room entrance helping the kids out of the car. Trent was standing next to the car, leaning back against it and holding his right are close. Even as he walked up Jason could tell he was having trouble breathing. A loud hacking drew his attention to Ethan, who was attempting to climb out of the other side. But every time he tried to take in a breath he started coughing even more. Hayley currently had her arm around Kira's waist and was helping her climb out. But Kira slipped and put weight on her left foot. Letting out a hoarse cry, she would have fallen over if Hayley hadn't caught her. Conner was still sitting in the front seat of the car, staring off into space and looking extremely confused._

"_Oh boy," Jason muttered, striding over. "Let's get you guys inside."_

_Before she could protest, Jason scooped up Kira and headed for the doors. Hayley, snapping at Ethan to stay put, gently directed Trent after Jason. Inside, Jason deposited Kira carefully in one of the chairs and made sure Trent made it into another. Going back outside to get the other two, he met Hayley coming in with Ethan._

"_Grab Conner, will you?" she said without pausing. "Watch his head. Oh, he's got some burns, too. Not sure how extensive they are, but try not to touch them."_

_Jason looked at her in surprise, but nodded. When he finally got Conner inside, Hayley had disappeared._

"_Where did she go?" he asked._

_The kids all shrugged, so Jason had Conner sit down to wait. A few moments later Hayley returned, arguing with a nurse._

"_Yes, I know it's not standard procedure," she snapped. "But there's no one else waiting and Dr. Walsh is already expecting us. They were with Tommy Oliver. The attack yesterday? We're supposed to go straight back."_

_The nurse, obviously tired of listening to Hayley, finally agreed. Jason grabbed a wheelchair and got Kira in it while Hayley helped Ethan and Trent start moving. Jason pulled Conner back out of the chair and towed him after, trying to push the wheelchair with one hand. Fortunately Kira was able to help steer. Hayley relaxed a little once they were out of the waiting room, but she was still obviously stressed. They took all four kids to the same room to wait._

"_Shouldn't there be a nurse coming?" Jason asked after a few minutes when no one had come to see them._

"_Give it a few minutes," Hayley said. "Dr. Walsh is trying to involve as few people as possible with this."_

_As she was talking, the door to the room opened and Dr. Walsh walked in. He stood in the doorway for a moment, shaking his head as he surveyed the room. _

"_This is going to take some creative cover," he commented, shaking his head._

_All of the kids except Conner jerked in surprise. Jason whipped around, too, staring at Hayley in shock._

"_It's fine," she said. "He's ok."_

"_How much does he know?" Jason asked suspiciously, glancing over at Dr. Walsh._

_The doctor put his hands up, shaking his head. _

"_I don't know what happened or how it happened," Dr. Walsh said. "And frankly, I don't want to know. I just want to fix them."_

_Jason looked at him in surprise and then back at Hayley, who was smiling. _

"_He guesses at what we do," Hayley said as an explanation. "But he doesn't ask questions."_

"_Nice," Jason muttered. "Wish we'd had one of those…"_

"_Don't even start," Hayley said. "You had—other medical help and a full-time Billy. I didn't have a choice in this with Tommy putting himself in a coma every other year."_

"_Good point," Jason conceded._

_Dr. Walsh cleared his throat and everyone turned to look._

"_I hate to interrupt," he said. "But who should I take first?"_

_Hayley frowned, looking over the kids. _

"_Take Conner," she said after a moment. "Ethan and Conner are breathing alright for now. But Conner is having a lot of trouble hearing and understanding anyone and I'm not sure he remembers his name…"_

"_Oh," Dr. Walsh said. "I guess we're going to take some x-rays."_

_Walking over, he took Conner by the arm and started to direct him out of the room._

"_Come on, Conner," he said. "We're going to take some x-rays of your head."_

"_But I just got out of bed," Conner said, frowning in confusion._

"_And an ear exam," Dr. Walsh added._

"_Dr. Walsh!" Hayley said. "What about Tommy?"_

_He paused by the door to answer. _

"_We won't know for sure until we get some test results back," he said. "But he's in a room just down the hall if you want to see him."_

_Turning back around, Dr. Walsh started gently steering Conner down the hall by the shoulder. Once they were gone, Hayley looked over at the other three. _

"_Will the three of you be alright on your own for a few minutes?" she asked. "I want to go check on Tommy and I'm pretty sure Jason's going to come with me."_

"_We'll be fine, Hayley," Trent said, wincing as he took another breath. _

_Kira gave her a thumbs up and Ethan tried to answer but started coughing instead. Hayley took a deep breath and left the room, followed by Jason. They found Tommy in a room just down the hall. He was laying on his stomach, his left arm in a temporary cast. _

"_Hey, bro," Jason said as they stood next to the bed. "You don't look so great."_

_Tommy glared at him._

"_Ya think?" he muttered. "Doesn't feel so great either."_

_There was a pause as Tommy looked at them, frowning._

"_Hayley?" he said. "When did you get that sweater?"_

"_What?" Hayley asked, looking down at herself. "I've had this for ages. Why?"_

"_I thought you didn't like pink…" Tommy answered._

_Hayley looked over at Jason in surprise, then back at Tommy._

"_Tommy," she said slowly. "My sweater isn't pink. It's green…"_

"_Oh," he said. "That makes a lot more sense. So I supposed it's safe to say Jason isn't wearing purple?"_

"_Man, bro," Jason said. "What did they give you? I'm wearing red. Like I usually do."_

"_They gave me a morphine shot," Tommy mumbled. "Or six…"_

"_Oh boy," Hayley sighed…_

"_You're high, aren't you?" Jason asked._

"_Yep," Tommy answered. _

_Jason groaned, shaking his head._

"_That's it," he said. "I'm staying here to make sure you don't say something you shouldn't."_

_Hayley stiffened, her eyes widening. _

"_Oh!" she exclaimed, standing abruptly. "Jason, will you be alright here with him?"_

"_Yeah," Jason said, frowning. "Why?" _

"_I need to go talk to the kids," Hayley said. "Especially Conner."_

"_Oh," Jason said in understanding. "Go on. We'll be fine."_

_Hayley hurried out of the room, leaving Jason with Tommy. _

_Sometime later, Hayley rejoined Jason with Tommy. She'd been sitting with Conner while Dr. Walsh checked the other kids to make sure Conner didn't accidently say something while he was out of it. Now that some of the other kids were back, she was alright with going back to check on Tommy again. But she hadn't been there long when Dr. Walsh returned. _

"_Hayley?" he said, gesturing for her to join him._

_She stood back up, joining him in the hallway. _

"_We're done with the group," he said. "Kira was the last one and she's back with the boys now."_

"_So what do I need to know?" Hayley asked._

"_We'll start with Kira," Dr. Walsh answered. "She'll be the easiest."_

_Hayley nodded. _

"_Like all of them, she's got some minor bruising and contusions," he said. "All things that will heal given time. However, her throat is also extremely raw for some reason, as though she'd been screaming for hours. Her vocal chords are also strained. She should refrain from speaking at all for a week or two to give them a chance to recover."_

_Hayley sighed, nodding. _

"_Her ankle has also been severely sprained," he continued. "It will heal without permanent damage, but until it does Kira should stay off of her feet as much as possible."_

"_Well, it could be worse," Hayley said. "Who's next?"_

"_Ethan," he answered. "Again, bruises and contusions. But he also has some burns he'll need to keep an eye on. The coughing is due to smoke inhalation. That means he will need to refrain from any physical activity that would involve heavy breathing until the smoke has a chance to clear. He also has a moderate case of whiplash, which again means his physical activity needs to be limited."_

"_That shouldn't be too difficult," Hayley sighed. "He'd much rather sit in front of a computer anyways…Moving on?"_

"_Alright," Dr. Walsh said. "Like Ethan, he has some minor burns. He has some bruised ribs as well. Also, Conner does, as you suspected, have a concussion. It's only a moderate one, however, and wasn't bad enough to put it in the severe category."_

"_Oh thank goodness," Hayley muttered._

"_He too is going to be restricted," he said. "So limited physical activity, no heavy lifting, etcetera. And no driving. Conner will not be allowed to drive until I have given him a clean bill of health."_

"_That one is going to be a little more difficult," Hayley said. "I'll just take away his car keys…Oh, the hearing thing?"_

"_Ah, yes," Dr. Walsh said. "Sometimes when there is an overload of sound, it can damage the ears. He's currently hearing a ringing in his ears as his cochlea tries to compensate for the sound overload. It will diminish over time, but—"_

"_But until it does we're going to be repeating ourselves…" Hayley sighed. "I'll handle it. Next?"_

"_Trent is the worst of the kids," he said. "His right shoulder has been dislocated and he has several broken ribs."_

_Hayley winced._

"_None of them are too far out of place," he reassured her. "But he is not to lift anything heavier than five pounds and should refrain from any physical activities that could jar them further."_

_Hayley took a deep breath._

"_Alright," she said. "And Tommy?"_

"_Ah, yes," Dr. Walsh said. "Dr. Oliver is, unfortunately, the worst of the lot."_

"_Of course he is," Hayley muttered. "The most stubborn has the worst injuries…"_

"_Besides the broken hand and the major bruising," he said. "Dr. Oliver has injured his back. There is some nerve damage and, had it been much a worse, I'd be prepping him for surgery right now. Oh, he also has a minor concussion."_

_Hayley groaned._

"_That means," Dr. Walsh continued, "that his physical activity is even more limited than that of any of the kids. He shouldn't be lifting anything at all and should keep all moving around to a minimum. It would be preferable if he would remain in bed until his back has healed."_

"_Yeah, that's not going to happen," Hayley said drily. "You remember what happened the last time he was here…"_

_Dr. Walsh sighed, nodding. _

"_Dr. Walsh," Hayley said. "How ethical would it be to, say, put him back in a coma until his back healed?"_

_He chuckled a little shaking his head._

"_Unfortunately," he said, "that would not be something I could do in this situation."_

"_It was worth asking," she sighed as they turned to head back into the room._

"_I will, however, write you a prescription," he continued. _

"_Oh, thank you," Hayley said. _

"_Now, I can't promise it'll knock him out," Dr. Walsh warned her, pausing at the door. "But it will at least slow him down."_

"_And that's all I need," she said. "I'm assuming his driving privileges will also be revoked?"_

"_Yes," he nodded. "Until I say otherwise."_

"_Oh good," she said. "That will at least limit him to where he can walk."_

_He just chuckled again as they walked back in the room._

"_Now," Dr. Walsh said as Jason looked up. "I was going to let you take them all home tonight, but unfortunately we will need to keep Dr. Oliver for the night."_

"_Why?" Hayley asked._

"_Well," Dr. Walsh said. "It would usually be standard procedure to keep him here until he could sit up on his own."_

_Tommy, hearing that, perked up a little and started to shift._

"_Don't even think about it, bro," Jason growled. "I will sit on you if I have to."_

"_Please don't," Dr. Walsh sighed. "Due to his past history and my confidence in Hayley's ability to keep an eye on him, I was going to allow Dr. Oliver to leave tonight with the kids. However, he's had a minor reaction to his medication…"_

"_What?" Hayley exclaimed, glancing over at Tommy. _

"_It's nothing major," Dr. Walsh reassured her quickly as she walked over to the bed. "We gave him two shots of morphine—"_

"_He said it was six," Jason snorted._

"_It was two," said Dr. Walsh. "And we also gave him another medication. It is a newer drug, and Dr. Oliver seems to be allergic. The two didn't mix well in his system, as I'm sure you've noticed."_

"_Hayley?" Tommy frowned, looking at her. "When did you get here?"_

"_Tommy," she said. "I brought you here."_

"_Oh…" he said. "Jase, why are you wearing purple?"_

"_Dude, we went through this already," Jason said, shaking his head. "I'm wearing red. Why on earth would I be wearing purple?"_

"_I don't know," Tommy muttered. "Maybe Trini made a mistake in the laundry?"_

"_And turned something purple?" Jason asked. "Whose cloths was she washing mine and Billy's?"_

"_And that is why he'll be staying here for the night," Dr. Walsh said. "Anyways, I'm going to write that prescription for you, Hayley. As I said, limited physical activity for him. He shouldn't even be lifting things as small as books, if at all possible."_

_She nodded as he left the room. Jason looked at her in surprise. _

"_Hayley," he said as something dawned on him. "You do realize the get-together is a week from today…"_

"_Yes," she sighed as she started digging through her purse. "And he'll be there. We all will be—now where is Tommy's aspirin?"_

_She'd muttered the last part to herself. Not finding what she was looking for, she stood abruptly._

"_Will you be alright with him for a bit?" she asked._

"_Yeah," Jason nodded. "Why?"_

"_I need to go buy some aspirin," she said. "Lots of aspirin…"_

The bruises were a lot more visible than they had been that first day, but they were also fading, turning lighter some even fading to a yellow tint. Jason shook himself as he felt Mark tugging on his pant leg.

"Can we get in the pool, daddy?" he asked.

"Sure," Jason answered. "Come on."

Scooping up Mark, he headed to drop their things at a table. Trini and Kim were now talking with Hayley, the three of them sitting in lounge chairs applying sunscreen. Ken and Zach had already joined Ethan and Conner in the pool. There was some goofing around going on, but the two men were being careful with the teens, knowing that they were still recovering and both on restrictions. Billy was currently sitting on the edge of the pool, watching them and laughing. The door from the hotel opened as Jason finished getting Mark ready to go in the pool. Rocky, Adam, Kat, and Tanya walked out, ready to spend some time in the pool and in the sun.

"Tommy!" Kat gasped, seeing the bruises on his back for the first time. "Oh, you poor thing!"

She immediately sat down in a chair next to him and started fussing as Hayley shot a glare at her. Tanya sat with her. While Rocky and Adam grabbed another table, Aisha joined them, coming out with Sophia. She was also carrying a few blankets in the hopes that the little girl would take a nap in the shade.

"Cannonball!" Rocky suddenly yelled, grabbing everyone's attention.

Before anyone could stop him, he jumped into the pool, causing a chain reaction. Water splashed everywhere, hitting anyone close enough to the pool. Some of the cool water hit Tommy, who jerked in surprise, letting out an exclamation of pain. Ethan, who had been floating calmly in the water, also jerked upright as water cascaded over him. He gasped in pain as he twisted his neck around and then started choking on the water that he nearly swallowed. Conner grabbed him to keep him from going under. Kira, sitting on the lounge chair with Trent, also jumped in surprise when water splashed her. She slipped backward, falling into Trent who grunted in pain as he caught her.

"Rocky!" Aisha scolded, rounding on her husband as he came up out of the water.

"Come on, Tommy," Hayley sighed, helping him out of his chair.

The moment she'd heard him cry out in pain, she'd rushed over to help, practically pushing Kat and Tanya out of the way. Now ignoring their shocked looks, she started helping Tommy to the hot tub.

"Conner," she called over her shoulder. "Out of the pool. Bring Ethan over here."

Conner nodded and immediately started helping Ethan out of the pool. Ken joined him and between the two they got Ethan over to the hot tub. Hayley was helping Tommy in, being careful to keep his cast out of the water.

"Mmm…" Tommy groaned as he settled on to the seat. "Alright, that feels better."

"I'm sure it does," Hayley said.

She made sure his left arm, which was resting on the side of the hot tub, wasn't in any water. Ethan slid into the hot tub next to Tommy, sinking down to his chin in the hot water.

"I'm staying here for the rest of the day," Ethan muttered in relief.

Conner started to go back toward the pool, but froze when Hayley shot him a look. Grumbling, he joined Tommy and Ethan in the hot tub. Leaning down again, Hayley straightened the necklace Tommy was wearing, which had gotten twisted around on the way to the hot tub, and then stood back up. Tommy mumbled thanks as he leaned against the wall of the tub, his eyes closed. Smiling, Hayley turned to go check on Trent and Kira on the other side of the pool.

"Why can't I go back in the pool?" Conner muttered as Hayley walked away.

"Cause Hayley wants you to stay away from Rocky," Tommy mumbled as an answer.

Conner sighed, but didn't protest. A few moments later, Kat slipped into the hot tub as well. Tanya had gone to help Aisha with Sophia, so she had taken the opportunity to follow Tommy.

"Are you alright?" she asked, reaching out to fidget with his necklace. "I see you got a new chain for your arrowhead."

"Mmm hmm…" Tommy said, sounding half asleep.

"Kira and Trent are fine," Hayley announced brightly, rejoining them at the hot tub.

Before Kat could say or do anything about it, Hayley stepped into the pool and inserted herself between Tommy and Kat. She scooted up right next to Tommy, tucking herself under his right arm, which she draped over her shoulders. Kat glared at her, but Hayley just smirked. Since there wasn't room for Kat to take his other side, Ethan was sitting too close. Kat crossed her arms in front of her and contented herself with staying where she was.

"Is everything alright now?" Trini asked Hayley.

She and Kim and just walked over from their seats to join the group in the hot tub. They sat down across from Hayley and Tommy.

"I think we're fine now," Hayley said.

Kim and Trini smiled and then Kim frowned, noticing something. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the necklace Tommy was wearing. For a moment she just looked back and forth between Tommy and Hayley, and then she leaned over and whispered something in Trini's ear. Trini immediately looked over in surprise, her eyes widening. They both turned to Hayley. She laughed, nodding in answer to the silent question and snuggled in closer to Tommy, reaching up with her left hand to adjust his arm across her shoulders. Kim and Trini both squealed in excitement and started whispering back and forth as Kat looked at them all in confusion.

"Who's hungry?" Jason asked a few hours later.

The atmosphere by the pool was relaxed now. No one was goofing around anymore, at least not to an extreme. Tommy, now out of the hot tub, was stretched out in a chair again, Hayley lounging in the one next to him talking quietly with Kim and Trini. Billy, Ken, Zach, and Adam were splashing around gently with Mark in the shallow end along with Conner and Ethan. Trent and Kira were still on the lounge chair. While she continued to hum and strum on her guitar, he was flipping through a sketchbook. Aisha, Kat, and Tanya were sitting at one of the tables talking, Sophia sleeping on a blanket nearby. Rocky was passed out in a lounge chair next to her.

"I think we all are," Trini said as a chorus of 'me's' echoed around the pool. "Why don't we just order lunch here?"

"What does everyone want?" Jason asked.

"Just order room service," Tommy muttered suddenly, making a couple of the rangers jump. "Charge it to the penthouse and I'll settle with Anton later."

The rangers all looked over at Tommy in surprise.

"You're staying in the penthouse?" Adam exclaimed.

"Yeah," Trent answered for Tommy. "My dad made the reservations…"

"No wonder we haven't been able to find you guys," Adam muttered.

Jason interrupted the chance for any more questions by passing out room service menus and everyone set to picking out something for dinner. After they'd all given their orders to Jason, Aisha picking something out for Rocky rather than waking him up, he left to go place it.

"They said it shouldn't take too long," he announced as he came back in, pausing next to Rocky. "Umm… We should probably move him…"

Rocky, currently sleeping on his stomach, was visibly turning red. Taking matters into his own hands, Jason used his foot to tip over Rocky's chair. The other ranger grunted as he hit the ground, shooting upright with a yell as the pain from the sunburn registered.

"Rocky!" Aisha cried as Sophia woke up.

But he wasn't listening, he was climbing to his feet and groaning.

"Aw, man," he muttered. "I forgot sunscreen."

Jason and some of the others snickered. Rocky, despite the fact that he was already burnt, decided to put on some sunscreen. The food arrived a short time later and Jason started passing out orders. Ethan and Conner grabbed Kira and Trent's for them.

"Thank you, Conner," Kira whispered hoarsely when he handed her food to her.

Rocky, who had been walking past to grab his own, froze in shock and stared at Kira.

"She speaks!" he exclaimed loudly, getting everyone to turn and look at him.

Kira glared at him, shifting as though to stand up or throw something. Rocky immediately put him hands up and took a few steps backward, not realizing how close he was to the pool. Losing his footing on the edge, he fell backward into the water. Aisha sighed, rubbing a hand across her face as the rest of the rangers burst out laughing. Rocky sputtered as he got his feet underneath him, climbing out of the pool.

"Great," he grumbled. "Just great."

"Dude," Zach laughed. "You just got scared into the pool by a teenage girl not even half your size."

Rocky shot a glare at Zach as the rangers laughed harder.

"Well she is scary," Conner commented. "And dangerous—shutting up…"

Kira had just shot a glare at him.

"Alright, everyone," Jason said, interrupting. "Let's eat our food before someone gets it all wet."

After dinner, Tommy excused himself from the rest of the group, saying he was going to take a nap where it was actually quiet. Hayley sighed, watching him go, and leaned over to Kim.

"He's trying to avoid taking his medicine," she muttered. "Want to give me a hand?"

"Sure," Kim grinned. "What did you have in mind?"

They quickly came up with a plan and Kim excused herself, heading inside. A short ways away, Kat frowned, watching as Kim disappeared from sight.

"I need to run up to my room," Kat said, excusing herself. "I'll be back."

Aisha and Tanya nodded, going back to their conversation.

"Where is she going?" Kat muttered to herself as she walked silently after Kim. "She has no reason to be in here…"

She watched as Kim got into the elevator and then waited to see what floor it went to. The elevator went all the way up to the penthouse suite. Kat waited a few minutes, but Kim didn't come back so she hurried back to Aisha and Tanya. When Kim came back almost forty-five minutes later, Kat shot her a glare before leaning closer to Tanya and Aisha.

"See," she hissed. "She's been gone for nearly an hour. Why was she up there with him that long?"

"Maybe they were just talking," Tanya said hesitantly. "After all, it's hard to have any kind of one on one conversation with all of us here. Someone is constantly interrupting."

"It's just not right," Kat insisted. "An hour? By themselves?"

"We don't have any proof they've done something wrong," Tanya said. "And I'm not going to confront anyone without proof."

Aisha and Kat both sighed. They knew Tanya was right.

"We'll just have to keep a closer eye on them," Aisha said.

Coming back into the pool area, Kim rejoined Hayley and Trini.

"Well that took a little longer than I thought it would," Hayley said. "I guess he really didn't want to take it."

"No, he didn't," Kim said. "But it actually only took me about fifteen minutes to make him take it."

"Did you get lost on the way back down?" Trini asked.

"No," Kim protested. "I may have partially had to sit on Tommy to get him to agree to take his medicine…"

"Kim," Hayley groaned.

"Don't worry," Kim reassured her. "That's why I didn't come back down right away. I stayed to give him a massage. I do have a license, after all, what with working with my gymnasts. He appreciated it."

"So long as you didn't break him," she muttered.

"I didn't," Kim said brightly, laughing. "He's passed out now."

Hayley rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Zach asked loudly, interrupting the conversations around the room.

"The bike tour," Tanya answered promptly. "It starts at two o'clock."

"Great!" Zach exclaimed. "I can sleep in. What time are we meeting?"

"Nine o'clock tomorrow morning," Tanya said drily. "At Jason's dojo."

"Seriously?" Zach said as some of the others chuckled. "Why?"

"So they can watch me wipe the floor with you," Jason grinned.

"Bring it on, man," Zach challenged him.

"Alright, boys," Trini sighed. "Save it for tomorrow."

"Anyone got anything they don't want to eat?" Conner asked, looking around at the group.

They all turned to look at him in surprise.

"What?" he said. "I'm hungry…"

"You just ate, kid," Adam said. "How can you possibly be hungry again?"

Conner shrugged. Hayley sighed, starting to get her stuff together.

"Hayley, you've gotta start feeding this kid dessert," Jason said.

"I do," she answered drily. "He just doesn't stop eating."

"I'm a growing boy," Conner protested.

Ethan snorted.

"Yeah," he said. "Growing round the middle."

Conner whipped around to glare at him as the rangers laughed.

"That's it!" Hayley announced, looking at the teens. "The four of you in the elevator—Now."


	12. The next day

Jason and crew were all at the dojo the next morning when the two groups from the hotel arrived. They came in to see Zach landing on his back, apparently not for the first time.

"Gotta move faster than that if you want to beat him, Zach," Tommy commented. "You're out of practice."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zach grumbled. "Someone else can take a turn then. I think I've been beat up enough for one day."

Jason just grinned, leaning against the nearby wall as Zach limped away. Trini was on the far side of the room, sitting one of the benches talking to Kim as Billy and Ken watched Mark attempting to copy his father.

"I'll go a couple of rounds," Rocky volunteered, grinning at Jason. "I think I can keep up with you."

"Bring it on, man," Jason said.

"Why don't we have a tournament?" Adam suggested. "It'll be fun for all of us."

"Sounds like a great idea," Rocky said. "Then we can see who's the best."

"Hey!" Tommy exclaimed as he took a seat on nearby bench. "What about me?"

"You don't count right now, bro," Jason said. "You're down for the count."

Tommy glared at him, grumbling. Zach, after some persuading, agreed to join Jason, Rocky, and Adam. Ken asked to join them as well.

"How about you, Billy?" Jason asked.

Billy looked up in surprise. He was standing over by the teens, who had taken over playing with the kids. They were throwing a few small balls around for them to chase.

"Actually," Billy said slowly. "I was going to—"

He looked around, trying to come up with a reason not to participate. Tommy, seeing the look on his face, decided to help.

"Help with lunch?" Tommy suggested.

"Yes!" Billy exclaimed, shooting Tommy a grateful look. "I was going to assist Trini with lunch preparations."

"Alright," Jason said, shrugging. "If you're sure."

"Affirmative," Billy said, turning to find Trini. "Trini, how can I assist you with lunch?"

She looked up at him in surprise, but stood up to meet him and talk options. On the far side of the room, Kim had started doing some aerobics and Pilates with Kat. Aisha, Tanya, and Hayley wandered over to join them.

"Girl, I can't believe you're still in that good of shape," Aisha said, watching Kim. "You're gonna have to help me. A lot."

Kim laughed, smiling as gave Aisha a hug.

"Of course," Kim said. "What are friends for?"

The tournament kept those watching entertained for some time. Zach, facing Rocky, was the first out. Groaning, he had immediately collapsed on the ground near Tommy's bench, stretching out and staring at the ceiling. Tommy, who was lying on the bench as he watched, glanced down at him.

"I thought I was the one with the back problems," he said.

"Shut up," Zach muttered as Tommy chuckled.

Ken, facing Jason, was out next. Bowing in defeat, he sat on the bench near Tommy's feet to watch Rocky and Adam. Rocky won again, taking Adam out of the competition. That left Jason and Rocky for the finals.

"Yes!" Rocky exclaimed, taking the winning point. "I am the winner!"

"Aww man," Jason groaned, getting back to his feet. "That didn't feel good…"

"Great job, Jase," Tommy laughed. "The karate instructor just lost the karate competition."

"Oh, so you think you could do better?" Jason grumbled. "Why don't you get out here and give it a shot?"

"I'd love to," Tommy said drily. "But—"

"Tommy Oliver, don't you dare move a muscle!" Hayley yelled from the other side of the room.

"—Hayley would kill me," Tommy finished.

"Of that I have no doubt," Jason chuckled.

Rocky was still doing a victory dance on the mat.

"I am undefeatable!" he crowed as the other guys glared at him.

"Jase," Tommy hissed suddenly, getting his attention.

When Jason turned to look at him, Tommy grinned, gesturing behind Rocky. Trini, having heard Rocky's bragging when she walked back into the dojo, was stalking toward him. Everyone, except Rocky, was watching her. She didn't hesitate. Reaching Rocky, Trini kicked, hard, and hit him in the back of the knee. Too busy bouncing around and not paying attention, he wasn't prepared and couldn't catch himself. Rocky went down, face-planting on the mat with a grunt. The rangers all burst out laughing. Mark and Sophia, seeing Rocky on the ground, ran over to join in the fun. They both tackled him. Sophia landed on his upper back, wrapping her arms around his neck, while Mark landed across Rocky's lower back.

"Got you daddy!" Sophia giggled.

Rocky groaned in response.

"Lunch time," Trini announced. "Come on, Mr. Undefeated."

Spinning, Trini headed back in the other direction. Tommy, still lying on the bench, lost it. Laughing hard, he rolled off the bench and hit the ground.

"Aahh…" he groaned. "That was so worth it, but ow—that hurt…"

Hayley sighed, but she didn't walk over because Ken was already helping him up off the ground.

"Let's go eat, guys," Jason said, still chuckling. "We don't want to be late for the start of the tour."

After lunch, the rangers got ready for the bike tour. Everyone changed into more appropriate clothes and bikes were loaded up for the short drive over to the park.

"Where are the rest of your bikes?" Adam asked as he walked past Tommy's jeep.

There three bikes hooked to the back of the jeep. Hayley, who was putting on sunscreen, didn't glance up as she answered.

"We weren't carting that many bikes from Reefside," she said absently.

Shrugging, Adam continued on to his own car. Once everyone was ready to go, the caravan pulled out and drove over to the park where they immediately began unloading bikes and accessories. Rocky and Aisha struggled for a few minutes to attach a small cart to the back of Aisha's bike. It was a small covered carrier for Sophia to ride in.

"Where is Mark riding?" Aisha asked Trini as she walked by holding Mark's hand.

"Hayley has a riding seat," Trini answered, pausing to look at the carrier. "She's going to take him for us."

Aisha frowned, glancing over at where Hayley was hooking the seat to her bike.

"But that won't be any fun," she said. "He'll just be staring at her back the whole time. The carts are great because they can look out and see where we're going."

"Mmm hmm…" Trini said, keeping Mark from taking off across the grass. "We thought about it, but we didn't have one and Hayley offered the seat, so we didn't bother renting one."

"Mark could ride with Sophia," Aisha offered. "They're both small enough to fit and it does have two straps."

Trini shook her head, smiling.

"Thanks," she said. "But that's alright. We've already planned everything out with Hayley and I don't want to change plans on her last minute. Besides, Hayley's been looking forward to it and Mark's excited to actually be riding on a bike."

"Alright, girl," Aisha said. "If you're sure."

"I am," Trini assured her. "Thank you for the offer though. Next time we might have to take you up on that."

Smiling again, Trini headed over to Tommy's jeep with Mark as Aisha turned to get Sophia from Rocky. Tommy was leaned back in the driver's seat of his jeep, his eyes closed. Kira and Trent were both sitting in the backseat, legs stretched out as they relaxed. Ethan and Conner were arguing about something on the other side of the jeep while everyone ignored them, their bikes leaning on the kick stands. Hayley, however, was now standing next to her bike applying more sunscreen.

"Ride?" Mark asked, looking up at her.

"Yep," Hayley grinned. "And we're going to have lots of fun."

"Can I leave him with you?" Trini asked. "I wanted to put on some sunscreen before we leave. He's already got his on."

"Go ahead," Hayley said, holding out her hand to the little boy. "We'll be fine. He's going to have a blast."

Scooping Mark up, Hayley stuck him in the jeep to wait, not wanting to hook him into the seat until the last minute.

"Ethan—Conner!" she snapped, glaring at them across the jeep. "Knock it off. And get over here. You can't ride on that side of the spotter car."

"Sorry, Hayley," they chorused.

Grabbing their bikes, they wheeled them over next to Hayley's. The tour guide started calling for everyone to get on their bikes and gather around. As Hayley started getting Mark into the seat, Aisha walked over.

"Hayley?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" Hayley answered, turning around with a smile.

"I know you've just about got him all set," Aisha said. "But I just wanted to offer to take him in the carrier for you. That way you don't have to worry about him weighing down your bike."

Hayley raised an eyebrow, but Aisha kept going.

"Our carrier is really light," she persisted. "And it pulls really well. It wouldn't be any trouble to take him with Sophia."

"Actually," Billy said, interrupting. "The seat Hayley is using is more practical for long bike rides, especially in crowds. It balances on the same center of gravity as Hayley does as she sits on the bike and therefore does not weigh down the rear of the bike, unlike the pulled carriers. Those have a tendency to slow down the biker because of excess weight on the back tire. For the same reason, bikers using such carriers over longer distances tend to tire more quickly and feel the need to rest more often."

Aisha stared at Billy for a moment as Hayley shrugged.

"Alright, I guess," Aisha said. "If you change your mind…"

Turning, Aisha hurried away from them.

"I think you lost her, Billy," Hayley commented. "But you are correct."

Billy laughed, going to grab his own bike as Hayley finished hooking in Mark. Trini and Jason came walking over with their bikes, planning to start off riding next to Hayley. Zach, jogging by on his way back from grabbing a water bottle, paused to look at her bike.

"What's up with the funny looking bike?" he asked.

"It's a street bike," Hayley answered, glancing up at him.

"It's a what?" Zach repeated.

"A street bike," Hayley said again.

"Oh, so it's gangster?" Zach said.

Conner and Ethan both snorted, nearly knocking over their bikes.

"Dude," Jason said, shaking his head at Zach. "It's a racing bike."

Zach frowned, confused.

"Then why don't they just call it that?" he asked.

"Because the term 'racing bike' usually refers to a bike with a motor," Tommy answered. "Like a dirt bike."

"Well, then why don't they just call a dirt bike a dirt bike?" Zach sputtered. "It would be so less confusing."

"Because," Jason said. "Because—well, because it's called a street bike!"

"Whatever," Zach said dismissively. "I'm still going with gangster."

He continued jogging away to grab his own bike.

"He's your friend, Tommy," Hayley sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, I know," Tommy chuckled. "And it's times like this that I'm grateful for it."

Jason shook his head, sighing as he turned back toward Tommy.

"So what's up with you in the driver's seat, bro," he said. "I thought you were on restrictions."

"Oh, so you're questioning this now?" Tommy asked, raising an eyebrow. "After I spent a day driving around a dune buggy?"

Jason shrugged.

"I figured the only thing you could hit out there was me," he said. "And I wasn't going to let that happen. But driving a spotter car is a little different."

"Oh, he's fine," Hayley said.

"Yeah, Dr. Walsh gave me the all clear to drive a few days ago," Tommy said, grinning.

"Well, mostly," Hayley said. "He still can't drive long distance because of his back."

"I still can't drive at all," Conner grumbled.

"And that's because you were still seeing two of all the numbers," Tommy said drily.

"That's better than four," Conner protested.

"I'm still not getting in a car with you, dude," Ethan said.

"Alright, you two," Hayley interrupted before they could start arguing. "On your bikes. We're ready to go."

They did as she said, just in time for the tour guide to yell for everyone's attention.

"Listen up, everyone!" he yelled from the middle of the group. "Couple of things before we take off. First of all, everyone wave to our spotter car and the driver, Tommy Oliver."

Tommy straightened up, waving a hand so people could see him.

"He's going to be following along behind us," he continued. "Also, should anything happen to me or if I'm busy, you can go to my second for help. Miss Hayley Ziktor, currently by our spotter car with the little boy in red on her bike."

Smiling, Hayley stuck a hand up in the air. Mark laughed, loving the fact that everyone was looking at them.

"Wave, Mark," Hayley grinned.

He didn't need any more encouragement than that. Mark started waving both hands, laughing.

"Everyone ready?" the guide asked. "Alright. Let's go!"

"Aisha," Tanya asked a while later. "Are you alright?"

Aisha, pulling Sophia in the cart, had been moving more and more slowly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, panting slightly. "It's just harder pulling this than I thought…I mean, it wasn't that heavy getting it out and moving it around, but pulling it—it's really difficult moving forward…"

Tanya and Kat, who was riding next to her, both murmured sympathetically.

"Well, you're doing better than Hayley is with the seat," Kat said, glancing back over her shoulder. "She's bringing up the rear right now."

At the back of the group, Hayley was laughing as she weaved back and forth, meandering down the road as Mark giggled in delight. She was sitting upright on the bike, rather than leaning forward, the normal position for riding a street racing bike.

"Is she alright?" Jason asked Tommy, frowning as he watched Hayley.

Jason was currently riding alongside the spotter car, talking to Tommy as he drove slowly down the road.

"Hmm?" Tommy said, glancing back.

"Hayley," Jason said. "Is she alright? Cause, first off, I didn't think street bikes were ridden like that and second—well, it kind of looks like she's drunk…"

"Oh, she's fine," Tommy said. "She's just having fun. If you really want to see her move…"

He paused, grinning for a moment at Jason before yelling back to Hayley.

"Hey, Hayley!" he yelled. "Wanna race?"

A huge smile lit up her face. Leaning forward over the handles, she stopped weaving back and forth.

"Hold on, Mark!" Hayley exclaimed as her bike suddenly darted forward, peddles flying.

She shot past them as Jason watched in shock.

"Never mind," he muttered.

Hayley sped down the street, darting around other bikers at full speed. She didn't slow down as she sped past the tour guide, who waved and smiled as he shook his head. But he made no move to stop her. Sophia, having seen Hayley whip past them, immediately started demanding to go faster.

"Faster, mommy!" she demanded. "Like that!"

"I can't, sweetheart," Aisha sighed.

"But why?" Sophia pouted.

"Alright, I'll try," Aisha sighed again, and then took a deep breath as she tried to speed up.

Back by the jeep, Conner and Ethan had taken Jason's place alongside the vehicle. They were sticking to the back of the group since they had to take it slow, not wanting to send Ethan into a coughing fit while he was riding. Once Hayley was out of sight, they turned back to talk to Trent and Kira.

"Don't you two wish you could do that?" Conner grinned.

Kira and Trent both glared at him.

"Nah," Ethan said, shaking his head. "They just wish they could be on bikes."

"Too bad you guys couldn't ride bikes," Conner smirked. "You could have gotten a double."

"Aww…" Ethan laughed. "The lovebirds riding together."

As he and Conner laughed, Kira leaned forward and grabbed a folded map from the back of a seat. Whipping around, she smacked Conner as hard as she could in the shoulder.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, wobbling a little on his bike. "He did it too!"

"Yeah," Ethan grinned. "But she can't reach me."

Conner was in between the jeep and Ethan.

"Oh, I know," Kira growled in a hoarse whisper. "But I have other ways to reach you."

Reaching around, she snatched a water bottle out of the cooler on the seat between her and Trent and raised her arm to throw it at Ethan.

"And we're going to speed up a little now," Tommy said hurriedly as Trent snatched the water bottle out of Kira's hand. "Kira, we are trying to avoid anymore hospital visits. Save that for when he's not on a bike."

Grumbling, she settled back against the seat. Behind them, Hayley came speeding back up to the group, having lapped the block to catch up again. Reaching the back of the group, she started the meandering motion again as Mark laughed in glee.

"Faster!" he exclaimed.

"Ok," Hayley said. "Hold on."

Waving at the group, she was off again, Mark laughing and waving his hands in the air as they went.

A while later, Tommy frowned as he maneuvered the car to drive alongside Aisha. She'd slowly been dropping further and further back in the group the whole way. Now she was last and seemed to be struggling to keep up at all. Kat and Tanya, at Aisha's insistence, were up with the other rangers.

"Are you alright, Aisha?" Tommy asked.

"Uh-huh…" she panted. "Just trying to make it to the end."

Trent reached into the cooler and pulled out a water bottle, holding it out to her.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, taking the bottle and taking a drink.

"Aisha," Tommy said. "I have a suggestion."

When Tommy pulled in behind the last biker at the park at the end of the tour, he had a few extra passengers. Aisha was sitting in the front seat next to him, Sophia on her lap. Her bike was on the rack on the back of Tommy's jeep. When the other rangers, who had been looking for her, saw Aisha in the jeep, a few of them ran over.

"Aisha!" Kim exclaimed. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine, girl," Aisha smiled as she climbed out with Sophia. "I'm just not in the shape I used to be in. Tommy was nice enough to stop and give me a ride."

"He didn't load your bike on the rack, did he?" Kim asked suspiciously, glancing over at Tommy.

"He didn't," Aisha said, shaking her head. "All he did was pull over. Conner and Ethan actually helped me with the bike and cart."

Kim nodded and smiled, turning to go talk to Tommy. Hayley, who had just finished helping check all of the riders in, was walking back over with her bike, Mark no longer in the seat.

"Hayley?" Aisha said.

"Yes?" Hayley said, looking up from unhooking the seat.

"Where did you get that seat?" Aisha asked.

Hayley smiled, straightening up to talk to her.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow, bro?" Jason asked, looking at Tommy expectantly.

They all had their bikes loaded up, ready to go. Most of the crowd had cleared out already.

"Well, Hayley and I are heading out to the cabin tonight with the kids," Tommy said. "You guys can show up whenever you want to tomorrow."

Jason nodded, heading toward the other cars to make sure everyone was on the same page.

"Yes!" Zach exclaimed, punching the air. "I can sleep in!"

"Only if Jason let's you," Tommy said drily. "You're staying with him, remember?"

"Hey Jason!" Zach called, chasing after the other ranger.

"Ready to go?" Hayley asked, walking over to the jeep.

"Yep," Tommy answered. "I suppose you're driving?"

"You bet," Hayley said. "So scoot over and hand over the keys."

Rolling his eyes, Tommy moved to the passenger seat. Hayley started the car, but didn't take off right away as the tour guide came jogging up.

"So I'm assuming I'll see you at the race next month?" he asked. "Though the rest of us would fare better if you missed it."

Hayley laughed, shaking her head.

"Not a chance," she said. "I'll be there one way or another."

"I figured," he sighed. "Anyways, it was great seeing you. Enjoy the rest of the festival and I'll see you at the race."

He turned and jogged away. Still chuckling, Hayley pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the cabin, Trent following in Conner's car.


	13. Fun at the cabin and saying goodbye

"Hayley!" Trent yelled from the cabin. "They're here!"

She waved in acknowledgement from her chair. It was just after lunch and the Dino team had headed down to the lake to relax while they waited for the other rangers to get there. Tommy was stretched out on a lounge chair Hayley had brought down with her. It was laid out flat and he was lying on his stomach, eyes closed. Hayley was reclining in a chair next to his. Kira, on the other hand, was stretched out on a blanket on the ground, headphones in as she enjoyed the sunshine. Conner, Ethan, and Trent were up in the cabin cleaning up after lunch. Conner and Ethan because they'd made a mess, Trent because he'd volunteered to supervise so they didn't make a bigger mess while Hayley went to relax.

"There goes the quiet," Hayley sighed, sitting up.

The voices of the other rangers were floating down toward them, the volume increasing as they came into sight. Mark was running ahead of the group, laughing as he darted toward the lake.

"I don't think so," Hayley said, jumping up and intercepting him. "Gotta wait for your dad."

She scooped him up before he could reach the water, tickling him as she deposited him back on the beach next to Tommy's chair. He laughed, kicking and squealing.

"Nice catch," Jason said, jogging up with a couple of beach chairs in hand. "Thanks."

"Not a problem," Hayley smiled, letting Mark up to run to his dad.

Jason led him a short ways away, scolding the four-year-old as they went. Trini joined them with towels and such as Jason started setting up the chairs. The rest of the rangers had scattered in the same vicinity, setting up chairs or towels for some time in the sunshine and in the lake. Rocky, already red from falling asleep in the sun at the hotel pool, was applying copious amounts of sunscreen to avoid burning even more.

"Looks like I'm not going to be the only one burnt," he said with a grin, glancing over at Tommy. "How long has he been laying there?"

Hayley turned to look at Rocky, raising an eyebrow.

"Since he finished his lunch," she said. "We ate down here. So…about an hour."

Rocky smirked.

"Uh, dude?" Jason said, having overheard his comment. "He's not gonna burn."

"Wait, what?" Rocky said, frowning. "Why not? Did he put on sunscreen?"

"Rocky, he's Native American," said Jason, rolling his eyes. "The only thing he does is tan."

"You have no idea," Hayley sighed, sitting down to put on more sunscreen. "I, on the other hand, am a pasty redhead who burns after five minutes without sunscreen—and I have to reapply it every hour or so. Tommy, however, can be in the ocean—or even the desert—for several days without burning too severely…Extremely irritating sometimes."

Jason chuckled, shaking his head. Rocky was grumbling under his breath. Zach, who had been in the middle of trying to get his towel stretched out, was now on the ground laughing. He'd lost his balance.

"So not fair," Rocky muttered as they laughed.

Billy glanced up from putting his own sunscreen on. He was sitting on a towel near Tommy's chair.

"I, too, burn severely without appropriate application of sunscreen," Billy commented. "Though on Aquatar it is not a prevalent issue."

"Most of us burn," Kim laughed. "I know I do if I'm not careful. That's why I spend time tanning when I can. Less to worry about if I forget sunscreen later."

"It does make life easier," Hayley agreed with a smile. "I wish I had more time. But I haven't had a whole lot of time lately between the café and taking care of the rang—"

She was interrupted by yells coming from the cabin. The rangers all looked around to see Conner and Ethan bolting down toward them in their swimsuits. Trent was further behind. Ken, who had stayed to put more ice in the cooler before carrying it down, was walking with him. But Trent was completely focused on the other two boys, as it had been him who was yelling at the other two. Laughing, Ethan and Conner didn't even pause as they ran past the rangers, racing straight into the lake with a splash. Kira, who was lying on her blanket in the sand, yelped as some of the cool lake water splashed her. She sat upright, whipping around.

"You're gonna pay for that the moment you get out of the lake!" she yelled, her voice hoarse and cracked.

Putting a hand to her throat, Kira coughed a little as she glared at them. Conner and Ethan were staring back with wide eyes. But neither made a move to come out of the water. Trent, who had walked down rather than run, finally made it down to the beach.

"What happened?" Hayley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Conner dropped an ice cube on my back while I wasn't watching," Trent answered, glaring out at Conner. "He's just lucky I can't go in there right now."

Hayley sighed, shaking her head as Trent went to join Kira down by the water. She was sitting up now and they sat together, talking quietly while shooting glares at the two in the water every so often. Shaking his head, Ken set the cooler down in the shade and straightened up.

"Hayley," he said, grabbing her attention. "Before we leave, Tommy has got to show me that car he has up by the cabin."

"That won't take much convincing," Hayley said drily. "He loves that thing. But I told him he wasn't allowed to keep his stock car at the house in Reefside. Especially since he hardly uses the thing."

Ken laughed.

"Maybe I'll borrow it for a while," he said with a grin. "After all, he's probably not allowed to use it right now."

"I don't think so," Kim said, crossing her arms in front of her. "You are not bringing that thing home with you."

"Aww… Come on, honey," Ken said, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek.

"I'm not changing my mind," she said, but she didn't try and move away.

"Hey! No splashing!" Trent yelled from down by the water.

Ethan and Conner had splashed the pair again. Sighing, Hayley stood up and walked down to the water and started scolding the two boys in the lake. Jason, chuckling to himself, let Mark run down to the water after her and stood watching.

"Jason," Adam said from behind him. "Are the kids alright?"

Jason turned around. Adam was sitting in a chair behind him next to Rocky, who had Sophia in his lap. Tanya, Aisha, and Kat had all spread their towels out next to each other in the sunshine. They were all watching the four teens, who were now arguing with Hayley. Conner and Ethan were still standing in the water while Kira and Trent stood in the sand.

"What?" Jason said. "Oh. Yeah. They do this all the time. Kira and Trent won't really hurt the other two. At least not right now."

"But what about the bruises?" Tanya said.

Jason frowned, looking back at the kids. Now that they were wearing their swimsuits, the after affects of their last fight with Mesogog were clearly visible, especially out in the sunshine. All four of them had multiple fading bruises and healing scrapes and cuts. Ethan and Conner both had visible burns in varying stages of healing and Conner had some darker bruising around his rib cage. Kira was barefoot, making the wrap on her ankle more visible. Trent looked the worst of the four. His right arm was still in the sling and his entire chest was wrapped, dark bruises peeking out from under the bandages.

"Yeah, they're a lot more visible in the direct sunlight, aren't they?" he commented.

"Were they—" Kat said hesitantly. "Were they with Tommy when—"

She paused, biting her lip. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Umm… Yes," he said slowly. "Where else would they have been? There's a reason they've been moving so slowly this week. I mean, Kira is supposed to stay off her feet as much as possible, not to mention she's supposed to be resting her voice with the whole strained vocal chords thing."

The girls looked up at Jason in horror as he continued, not noticing the looks.

"Conner's still on restrictions from his concussion," Jason continued. "Ethan's got a case of whiplash and there's still smoke in his lungs. And Trent, well, those broken ribs and the dislocated shoulder are really slowing him down. But hey, what do you expect after a big figh—"

"Jason!" Trini exclaimed, interrupting. "If you don't get down there Mark is going in the water without you!"

He whipped around to see Mark standing in the shallows. Sighing, Jason jogged down to go play in the lake with his son.

"Water!" Sophia exclaimed, wiggling on Rocky's lap. "Water, daddy?"

Sighing, Rocky stood up and followed Jason down to the water, Adam walking with him. Staying on their towels, Tanya, Aisha, and Kat exchanged guilty looks.

"How did we miss that?" Tanya asked quietly. "And we haven't exactly been welcoming…"

"Girl, you are so right," Aisha admitted. "And look at everything we've dragged them to this week."

"Especially with Kira not supposed to be walking," Kat pointed out. "And broken ribs are nothing to laugh at either."

"It must have been an awful accident," Tanya said, looking back over at the kids.

Aisha and Kat nodded in agreement. Kira and Trent were sitting on Kira's towel. She'd gotten out her guitar, which had been tucked carefully under Tommy's chair and was strumming on it while he listened. Conner and Ethan were playing in the water with Jason, Rocky, Adam, Mark, and Sophia while Hayley laughed, watching from the shore. Kim and Trini had joined her, the latter holding a camera and taking pictures of the group in the water. Ken was standing behind Kim, his arms around her shoulders and Billy was watching from a short distance away while Zach went running into the water.

"Well, we'll just have to find a way to make it up to them," Aisha said determinedly.

They were all silent for a moment. Then Kat stood up, stretching.

"I'm going to get something to drink," she said. "Anyone else thirsty?"

"We'll come with you," Tanya said.

She and Aisha climbed to their feet and the three girls headed over to the cooler, which was by Tommy's chair. Tommy was still stretched out on his stomach in the same position he had been in since they got there. He hadn't moved.

"He's so cute when he's sleeping," Kat said, giggling quietly as she grabbed three water bottles out of the cooler and passing them out.

"Girl, they're all cute when they're sleeping," Aisha laughed. "And when they're awake."

"Mmm hmm," Tanya said in agreement, smiling as she glanced over at Adam out in the water. "That they are. How did we get so lucky?"

Aisha shook her head as Kat sighed.

"I don't know," she said mournfully. "You're both so lucky, even if they do drive you nuts."

"Yeah," Aisha said. "And he does know how to push my buttons. But I love him anyways."

Kat glanced over at Tommy again, smiling a little.

"You know," she said thoughtfully. "I actually really like his hair like that. It looks so much nicer that way—more professional. And just cuter in general."

"Thanks," Tommy mumbled, making all three girls jump in surprise. "That's good to know. I was thinking about growing it out again, but I guess if this is better…"

The girls stared at him in shock. He hadn't moved at all.

"Umm… Tommy?" Aisha said. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since you guys got here," he answered.

"So you just heard everything we said?" Kat asked.

"Yep," said Tommy.

The three girls exchanged embarrassed looks.

"We thought you were sleeping," Tanya said. "Or we would have stayed by our towels…"

"Why haven't you moved?" Kat asked, frowning.

Tommy groaned, shifting and carefully rolling over onto his back.

"I was comfortable," he said.

"Then why are you moving now?" asked Tanya.

"Because Zach is coming," Tommy said.

They looked at him in confusion. But Zach was jogging in their direction, soaking wet from being in the lake.

"Hey, man!" he exclaimed, pausing next to Tommy. "When did you wake up?"

"When you got here," Tommy said. "Do me a favor?"

"Sure," Zach said with a shrug. "What's up?"

Tommy yawned.

"Go hit Rocky for me," he said. "For the sunburn comments earlier."

"You got it!" Zach said, grinning.

Zach turned and jogged back down toward the water as Tommy and the girls watched. Rocky was standing knee-deep in the water, his back to Zach. Slipping silently up behind him, Zach gave him a swift kick to the back of the knee and Rocky went down with a splash. Laughing, Zach ran back up the beach toward the cabin. Tommy held up a hand as he passed to give him a high five.

"Works for me," Tommy laughed, watching Rocky scrambling back up to his feet, looking around wildly for his attacker.

Jason was doubled over a few feet away from Rocky, laughing so hard he was struggling to stay upright. Tommy shook his head as he swung his feet around to stand up. He was planning on walking around for a bit to keep from getting too stiff before he sat down again. Out in the water, Rocky had decided it was Jason's turn to get wet again. With Jason distracted and still laughing, Rocky launched himself at the other ranger, tackling him into the water. Ethan and Conner, who had been playing with the kids, each scooped up a child and moved out of the way as the two men surfaced.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Jason yelled, dunking Rocky back under.

They wrestled around for a few moments and then Jason got Rocky in a headlock. Standing up, Jason pulled Rocky up with him.

"Who's the best?" Jason demanded, not letting up on his hold. "Come on. Say it. Who's the best?"

Rocky let out a strangled growl, struggling to get away rather than admit Jason was better than him. Ken, standing just out of the water, let go of Kim and snuck up on the pair fighting. Casually walking behind them, he kicked Jason's feet out from underneath him, sending Jason and Rocky both back under the water with a splash.

"I am!" Ken exclaimed, moving quickly out of the way of flailing arms and legs.

"That's my man," Kim laughed.

Hayley and Trini both laughed with her. Rocky, who had been trying to grab Ken by the ankle, caught Adam's foot instead. A shocked look played across Adam's face as his feet suddenly went out from under him and he hit the water. That just made the girls laugh harder. Kat, Tanya, and Aisha had come closer to watch the wrestling match. Not taking the dunking without a fight, Adam dived into the wrestling match, too.

"Well, at least they can't break anything but each other out here," Aisha said drily. "But I am not driving anyone to the hospital if they do."

All of the other women chorused agreements. Billy, trying to avoid getting pulled in hurried out of the water after Ethan, Conner, and the two little kids. Looking around, he went to join Tommy who had set up a chair on the dock to watch the fight.

"What's up, Billy?" Tommy asked as Billy stopped next to him.

"Though it does appear as though they are having fun," Billy said nervously. "I do not feel equal to their exploits and am hoping to avoid involving myself in the rough housing."

Tommy nodded in understanding.

"Take my chair over there," he said, indicating the one he'd been dozing in earlier. "Hayley's computer is under there. They won't dare get water anywhere close."

"Thanks," Billy said gratefully.

He left Tommy sitting on the dock and headed for the chair. Conner and Ethan stayed on the beach, standing in the sand next to Kira and Trent. Then Ken, who had been watching from a few yards away, took off running through the water and did a flying leap, tackling the other three back under again. Some of the water splashed onto the girls on shore, who squealed in protest. The guys in the water all froze for a moment. They looked at the girls and then back at each other, grinning in silent agreement.

"No," Aisha said as the guys started advancing toward shore. "No, no, no, no, no—"

The girls all ran for it, scattering as the guys bolted for their group. Hayley was the only one who stayed where she was, silently daring one of them to touch her. They took the warning and went after the rest of them. Rocky caught Aisha first and dragged her, kicking and screaming, back to the water. Without pausing, he hoisted her up and threw her out into the lake before turning to chase after Kat. But she evaded him, darting in the other direction.

In the meantime, Adam and Jason were chasing down Tanya and Trini while Ken was trying to catch Kim. He caught her, pinning her arms down with his wrapped around her. But Kim wiggled and shifted just enough that she could reach his arm with her mouth.

"Agh!" Ken exclaimed, dropping her in the sand. "She bit me!"

The spectators laughed as he grabbed for her again. Hooking her around the waist, Ken threw her over his shoulder and headed for the water as she pounded on his back, screaming for him to put her down. Adam had caught up to Tanya and was dragging her back, too. Trini was the last one free, but Jason was catching up to her.

"Come on, sweetheart," Jason smirked. "I'm gonna get you eventually. Might as well get it over with."

"Not happening," Trini said, darting away again.

With Billy in a safe zone by Hayley's computer, Rocky turned toward the teens. Conner and Ethan immediately scooped up one of the little kids, using them as shields.

"We can't go in the water," Trent said hurriedly as Kira hid behind her guitar. "We are off limits."

Frowning, Rocky looked around for someone else to throw in the lake. Seeing Kat on the dock, Rocky grinned and ran toward her. She had slipped up there hoping no one would see her, but had trapped herself instead.

"Rocky, no," she said, backing away from him. "Don't you dare!"

She screamed as he lunged forward and grabbed her around the waist. While she was still screaming loudly, Rocky threw Kat out into the water to join the other girls. Ken and Adam both had their wives at the edge of the water now, but the women were kicking and screaming, fighting tooth and nail to keep from getting tossed in. Rocky laughed, turning to run back off the dock to help Adam and Ken. Passing Tommy in his chair, where he was laughing, Rocky didn't think before he reached out and tipped Tommy out of his chair and into the water. Tommy's eyes widened in surprise as he flipped out of the chair, tumbling through the air and landing back-first in the water with a grunt of pain.

"Dr. O!" the teens yelled.

"Tommy!" Hayley cried at the same time, running toward him.

But Conner and Ethan were closer. Immediately setting the kids in the sand next to Kira and Trent, they bolted for the water. Jason, who had just trapped Trini and had been about to throw her out in the lake, froze in shock for a moment. Kim and Tanya, who had seen what Adam and Ken hadn't, stopped fighting and found themselves flying through the air before they could stop their husbands.

"Tommy!" Jason yelled, dropping Trini in the water and bolting toward Tommy.

"Jason!" Trini exclaimed in surprise.

Jason froze again, momentarily caught between helping Tommy or Trini. But Conner and Ethan were already helping him to shore. Each of them had one of his arms around their shoulders. When they reached the sand, Tommy started to collapse.

"Hold on a sec, Dr. O," Conner said, keeping him upright. "Kira—blanket."

Kira immediately grabbed her blanket and tossed it to Hayley, who was standing and waiting. She spread it out in the sand and Conner and Ethan carefully lowered Tommy on to it. He groaned as he straightened out, lying on his back.

"Nobody touch me," he ordered, grimacing as the teens and Hayley hovered.

But everyone's attention was on Rocky now, who was standing, frozen in horror, on the dock.

"Rockford DeSantos!" Aisha shouted, stalking toward him out of the lake, the rest of the women following.

"I—I forgot," Rocky stammered. "Man, I am so, so sorry…I really didn't mean to—"

"Hayley," Tommy said through gritted teeth, glaring at Rocky. "Kill him."

"With pleasure," Hayley said.

Straightening up, Hayley casually brushed sand off of her hands and legs as Rocky started backing away. Narrowing her eyes at him, Hayley darted forward. With a yell, Rocky took off in the other direction. The other women quickly joined in the chase. Kim was right behind Hayley followed by Trini, Aisha, Kat, and Tanya. The guys stood waiting by Tommy, arms crossed as the girls chased down Rocky. They'd have their turn after the girls caught him.

"Not fair," Kira muttered, glancing down at her ankle.

Then a grin passed across her face. She was sitting not too far from Tommy, and Rocky would have to run straight past her to avoid Jason and the others. Waving a hand, she caught Hayley's attention and jerked her head, motioning her plan with her hands. Nodding in understanding, Hayley started steering Rocky toward them with the help of the other girls. As Rocky darted past Kira, she stuck out her good foot. He didn't see it coming and tripped, falling face first into the sand right next to Tommy.

"Aww…" Rocky groaned, starting to sit up. "Man…"

But before he could get anywhere, Tommy's hand shot out and grabbed the collar of Rocky's shirt, which he had put on shortly before chasing the girls around.

"You are so lucky I can't move right now," Tommy growled, his grip tightening.

Rocky tried to choke out an apology, but couldn't get out the words. Hayley and the rest of the women were standing, arms crossed and glaring down at Rocky. Jason stepped forward to take charge, grabbing Rocky's arm and starting to pull him up. But Tommy didn't let go.

"Alright, bro," Jason said. "You can let go now. We've got him."

Tommy still didn't let go of Rocky's shirt.

"Tommy," Jason said. "Let go—Tommy!"

"Umm… Dr. O?" Ethan said. "His face is turning blue…"

Adam reached down and tried prying Tommy's hand off of Rocky's shirt, but he couldn't get Tommy to release his grip.

"Come on, man," Adam said. "You can't really kill him. Not worth it anyways."

Rolling her eyes, Hayley stepped in.

"Tommy, let go," she said. "Give Jason and the others a turn. Don't forget, they still have to tell Zach what happened. He's coming from the cabin now."

Sighing, Tommy let go of Rocky, letting his arm fall back into the sand. Rocky stumbled upward, pulled by Jason and Ken. He swayed on the spot for a moment, trying to suck in as much air as he could. It wasn't until Jason and Ken started hauling him toward the lake that Rocky realized he was still trapped.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Let me go!"

They didn't answer. Zach, coming down from the cabin, frowned in confusion.

"So, what did I miss?" he asked Billy, who was standing by Tommy and watching them drag Rocky away. "And why is Tommy all wet?"

"Rocky made a rather egregious error," Billy answered. "Caught up in throwing the girls into the lake, it slipped his mind that Tommy is still mending and unable to join in the rough housing."

"He didn't," Zach said, shaking his head. "He wouldn't."

"Believing Tommy's inattention to be the perfect opportunity," Billy continued, "Rocky upended the chair and sent Tommy flipping into the water. He landed rather badly…"

"No kidding," Conner muttered darkly, obviously wishing he could participate in payback. "Ethan and I had to go rescue Dr. O."

"I guess I am going to have to call and make an appointment for you to get a new cast on as soon as we get home tomorrow," Hayley said looking at the dark cast covering Tommy's hand and arm. Tommy groaned aloud at that.

"That's it," Zach growled, striding toward the lake to join the rest of the guys. "My turn!"

"Dinner is ready!" Ken yelled from the dock. "Who wants a burger and who wants a hot dog?"

It was a couple of hours after the fiasco Rocky had caused and they'd pulled out the grill to make dinner. Ken had volunteered to cook since Jason was busy helping Trini with Mark, who kept trying to run back into the lake. Rocky, still groaning, was lying in the sand without a towel while Sophia piled more sand on top of him. Laughing, Jason was trying to encourage Mark to do the same. Tommy was still stretched out on Kira's blanket. Hayley had given him some of his pain meds and he was out cold and had been for the past hour. She was now relaxing next to him, reading a book. Kira and Trent, now sitting on another blanket, were both laying back and talking quietly. Ethan, Conner, Zach, and Billy had pulled out some card games and small portable table and were entertaining themselves while Kim, Tanya, Kat, and Aisha had volunteered to get all the plates and such from the cabin. Adam was helping Ken at the grill.

"Dinner?" Conner exclaimed the moment Ken spoke. "Yes!"

Abandoning the game, he darted toward the dock. Shrugging, the other three quickly packed up the game and followed. The girls, who had just finished their last trip from the cabin, paused as some of the guys darted toward the food, rolling their eyes.

"Hotdog or hamburger?" Trent asked Kira as he started to climb to his feet.

She started to answer, but the words didn't come out. Holding up a finger to ask him for a moment, Kira grabbed her water bottle and took a quick drink before trying again.

"Hotdog," she said in a rough whisper.

"With ketchup and mustard," Trent finished, grinning as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Stay where you are, Trent," Aisha said before he got to his feet. "We'll get dinner for you. What do you want?"

Aisha, Tanya, and Kat were looking at Kira and Trent expectantly.

"Umm…hamburger," he said slowly, a little confused. "With everything…"

"Great!" Tanya exclaimed. "We'll be right back. You two just relax."

As the three women hurried away, Trent and Kira exchanged confused looks and then turned to Hayley. She just shook her head.

"I have no idea," she sighed. "It's like they've done a one eighty degree turn… Aisha was even asking me about my cover-up earlier and acting like we were going to be best friends…All I can say is just go with it."

"Alright," Trent said. "Whatever you say…"

"Alright, Jase," Tommy said, shifting slowly into a sitting position. "Help me up."

With dinner over, the rangers were all relaxing on the beach as the sun started to set. They'd all changed out of their wet swim things into more comfortable clothes. Tommy hadn't woken up until after they were all done eating, but he waved off offers to get him something to eat. Now he was looking up at Jason expectantly.

"Alright," Jason said, frowning. "Where are you going?"

"We're going up to the cabin," Tommy answered.

Jason raised an eyebrow, but helped him up. Still sore from earlier, Tommy leaned on Jason and they headed up to the cabin. Conner and Ethan, seeing them leaving, grinned and bolted after them.

"What is Tommy up to?" Trini asked Hayley.

"You'll see," Hayley answered, refusing to say anything else.

A little while later the rangers heard the sound of an engine coming and turned to see what was going on. Tommy was driving an ATV down toward the beach and pulling a cart full of wood. Ethan and Conner had hopped on the wood pile and Jason was following behind.

"Bonfire time!" Tommy announced, grinning as he pulled to a stop.

Climbing off of the ATV, Tommy winced but moved back to his seat. Conner and Ethan started grabbing wood out of the cart and tossing it into the middle of the circle. Tommy watched them for a few moments, shaking his head.

"Hey, guys?" he said. "It's not gonna work that way."

"What won't?" Conner asked, looking over at him.

"The fire," Tommy said. "You're setting it up wrong."

"How can you set it up wrong?" Ethan asked. "It's all dry. All we have to do is light it on fire and it'll burn great."

Tommy shook his head.

"Alright," he said. "Go ahead and give it a shot. But you're never gonna get it to light like that."

"We've got it, Dr. O," Conner grinned.

"Mmm hmm…" Tommy said, leaning back to watch.

For a while he just sat and watched as the two boys tried to get the fire lit. Jason and Rocky were chasing the kids around away from the woodpile. Trini and Kim had run back up to the cabin for smores supplies. Adam and Billy had volunteered to go find some sticks for roasting marshmallows while Kat, Tanya, and Aisha had started pulling chairs in closer. They were also insisting that Kira and Trent sit and relax, still not letting them get anything for themselves. Ken was standing next to Tommy's chair, shaking his head as he watched Ethan, Conner, and Zach, who had joined the two younger rangers, trying to get the fire lit.

"Not gonna help," Ken muttered to himself as he watched them struggling to light a single log on fire. "Leave it alone. Don't interfere."

Sighing, he turned to Tommy.

"How long are you gonna watch this?" he asked.

"I don't know," Tommy said, pausing. "Actually, you know what? With the effects of the pain meds Hayley gave me early, I really don't care…I'm alright with this…"

Groaning, Ken turned back to watch for another minute. Then he threw his hands up in the air.

"That's it!" he exclaimed. "I can't stand it anymore. Move!"

Kim and Trini made it down from the cabin just in time to see Ken's outburst. Shaking her head, Kim just smiled.

"And that's my man," she chuckled.

Ken had ordered the other three out of the way and was completely rebuilding their fire. He'd even taken the matches away from Conner. It wasn't long before he had a fire going.

"We'd have gotten it eventually," Conner muttered.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't waiting for the next week, kid," Ken said, crossing his arms.

"Hey!" Conner started to protest.

"Who wants s'mores?" Hayley asked, distracting Conner.

Billy and Adam started passing out sticks to roast marshmallows on and pretty soon most of the rangers had one roasting over the fire. As they were finishing up the first round of s'mores, Mark and Sophia came running into the middle of the circle, screaming and laughing as they chased each other. The rangers watched in horror as they tripped over a stray log, tumbling toward the fire. Reacting on instinct, Tommy lunged out of his chair and grabbed Mark, yanking him away from the flames, grunting in pain as he twisted his back again. But he couldn't grab Sophia, too, and no one else was going to be close enough.

"No!" Aisha cried out.

Out of nowhere, Conner came flying and snatched Sophia out of the air, landing on his side with the little girl held tightly in his arms. She immediately started crying and screaming for her parents. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Rocky and Aisha rushed forward to take her from Conner. Jason and Trini were already hugging Mark tightly as Tommy grimaced in his chair.

"Thank you, Conner," Aisha said shakily, clutching Sophia. "Are you alright?"

Conner nodded and started to sit up. He winced and fell back to the ground, one arm wrapped around his rib cage.

"Mmm…" he said, groaning. "Maybe I'll just stay down here for a while. I don't think the world is supposed to spin like that…"

Aisha let out a small gasp.

"I am so sorry," she said.

"Eh, he'll be fine," Ethan said. "He's had loads of knocks to the head before."

"It's true," Kira added. "He's down how many brain cells now?"

"Hey!" Conner exclaimed, wincing again. "Ow…"

Hayley sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and taking a deep breath.

"That's enough," Hayley said, interrupting. "No more comments from the peanut gallery. He's still recovering from bruised ribs, remember? Cut him some slack."

Ethan and Kira both nodded as Hayley started digging through her bag, muttering under her breath.

"Thanks, Hayley," Conner said. "You're my favorite."

"Is that so?" Tommy asked, lightly kicking Conner in the leg.

"Umm…" Conner stammered. "I'm just gonna stay quiet…"

"Good call," Tommy groaned, leaning back in his chair.

Hayley grabbed two water bottles and straightened up.

"Here," she said, handing Tommy a bottle and some pills.

"Hayley," he said. "I don't need it—"

"Take it," she snapped. "Now."

"Yes ma'am," Tommy muttered, taking his meds and the water bottle.

She stood watching as he took it and then turned to Conner. Hayley crouched down next to him. Putting a hand under his shoulders, she helped him sit up.

"And here's yours," she said.

"Got it," he said, not arguing.

"Ethan, help him into a chair," Hayley said, standing up. "Now, as for you two."

She turned to look at Rocky and Jason. Both of them, like the rest of the rangers, had settled back into their chairs, still a little shaken but trying to relax. They looked up at Hayley in surprise as she glared at them.

"The both of you need to teach the both of them," she said, pointing at the two men and then at the kids, "fire safety. Now. And while you do that I'm going to make each of them a s'more."

"Hey!" Jason exclaimed. "How come you get to give them sugar while we deliver a lecture?"

"Because," Hayley smirked. "I get to be the fun one since I'm not the parent."

Jason grumbled, but started to do as Hayley said.

"So does that mean you aren't planning on having kids?" Tanya asked.

"I didn't say that," Hayley answered. "I'm just not planning on having them anytime soon."

"Amen to that!" Tommy exclaimed in agreement, then he paused and frowned. "Hayley, how much did you give me?"

"Your full dose," Hayley said. "Why?"

"Hayley," Tommy groaned. "I don't need the full dose…"

"Tommy Oliver," Trini said sternly. "Do you mean to tell me you haven't been taking your full dose of medicine this whole time?"

"I don't need it…" Tommy muttered in protest.

Hayley rolled her eyes.

"Well too bad for you," she said. "Now relax. We've still got a nice blaze going and we're going to enjoy it."

Tommy blinked, shaking his head and trying to shield his eyes.

"Hayley," he complained. "I can't even watch the fire anymore. It's messing with my head…I'm—I'm just gonna close my eyes…"

Still muttering under his breath, Tommy closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

As the fire started to burn down, the rangers started packing things up for the night. They would have to be in town early the next day to be able to park anywhere near the parade route, even if Ernie had promised to try and save them some parking spots.

"Remember," Jason said as they all started heading up toward the cars. "We're meeting at the Youth Center at seven. Got it?"

"Got it, Jason!" the rangers chorused as they walked.

Shaking his head, Jason paused on the beach. Tommy was somewhat awake and sitting up now, but he had yet to stand. Hayley was crouched down talking to him, smiling as she ran a hand through his hair. The teens were folding up towels and chairs and setting them off to the side to take up to the cabin.

"Sure you don't need any more help, Hayley?" Jason asked. "Trini and I can stay a bit longer."

Glancing up, Hayley shook her head.

"You've gotta get Mark to bed," she said. "We'll be fine here. See you in the morning."

Nodding, Jason glanced at Tommy one more time and headed up toward his car. Hayley turned her attention back to Tommy.

"Think you can get up on your own?" she asked, catching Conner's eye and jerking her head.

"Hmmm?" Tommy said, still half-asleep. "Yeah, I can get up."

He started to push himself up but stumbled. Hayley caught him and Conner, who was up and moving around just fine now, grabbed his other arm. Ethan ran over to help.

"Come on, Dr. O," Conner said. "Time for bed."

"I can walk," Tommy insisted, trying to step away from Ethan and Conner.

But he nearly lost his balance again.

"Or maybe I can't," he muttered. "Hayley, how much did you give me?"

"Enough," she answered smugly. "And you were in too much pain to argue."

"Hayley!" Tommy exclaimed.

"Oh, relax," she said. "I already told you. I only gave you what you were supposed to take—and I also gave you the nighttime meds while you weren't paying attention to what you had."

"Oh, good," Tommy mumbled. "No wonder I can't see straight anymore…"

Laughing softly, Hayley shook her head.

"Can you two get him up to the cabin alright?" she asked.

"We got him, Hayley," Ethan said.

"And don't worry about all the chairs and stuff," Conner added as they started walking with Tommy. "Ethan and I will be back down. Just grab what you can carry in one trip and we'll take care of the rest."

Without waiting for an answer, the two boys took off toward the cabin, Tommy between them. Hayley grabbed an armful of towels and the bag with her laptop while Kira grabbed her guitar. They headed up toward the cabin. Trent, having just finished making sure the fire was out, hurried to join them.

"Be careful with them," Hayley called across the room.

All she got was a few waves from the sparring area. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the conversation she was having. But she'd barely opened her mouth when the door to the youth center burst open and Adam's group came walking in. They all froze in the doorway when they saw who was there with the Dino Thunder team.

"Hey guys!" TJ called from the sparring mat.

He was goofing around with Conner and Ethan. Not quite up to full on sparring, the two boys were going through some of the motions with the older ranger, laughing and joking around. Carlos was watching them, shaking his head at their antics. Kira and Trent were sitting at one of the tables chatting with Ashley and Cassie while Hayley was talking with Andros at the next table. Tommy was sitting in a chair next to Hayley, his eyes closed as he leaned back.

"Umm… Hey," Adam said slowly, surprised to see the Space Rangers. "What are you guys doing here?"

Ashley sighed, shaking her head.

"Andros volunteered us for the parade," she said, glancing over at him.

"Sorry," Andros shrugged. "I didn't realize what it was at the time…"

The other space rangers sighed. Still standing near the door, the other rangers shifted uncomfortably. The last time the two groups of rangers had seen each other had been at Zordon's memorial, where the Space Rangers had found a rather cool reception.

"Andros! TJ!" Jason exclaimed, walking in behind the others. "No one told us you were going to be here."

The entrance of the rest of the originals broke the awkward silence that had been growing. Grinning, Jason walked straight over to Andros, sitting down next to him. Trini and Kim joined Kira, Trent, Ashley, and Cassie, smiling as they greeted the other two women. Zach immediately ran to join the group on the sparring mats, followed by Ken, who hadn't actually met any of the Space Rangers yet, and Mark, who was just excited to be at the Youth Center again. Billy followed, sitting down to talk to Carlos.

"So why didn't you call?" Jason asked Andros. "We'd have been here earlier if we'd known you guys were gonna be in town."

"I did," Andros said, frowning. "I told Tommy last week."

"Oh, right," Tommy mumbled, not opening his eyes. "I forgot about that…He called while I was in the hospital still—and completely out of it…"

"That would explain a lot," Andros said thoughtfully.

The rest of the rangers were still standing, though they had moved further into the room, and they all kept shooting confused glances at the originals. No one had been on friendly terms with the Space Rangers the last time the two groups had met. Rocky stopped next to Tommy's chair, looking down at him with a look of concern on his face.

"Is he alright?" he asked. "I'm still sorry about last night."

"Hmm?" Hayley said, glancing up. "Oh, he's fine. He just took his pain meds a little while ago and they're really starting to kick in."

"But I thought he didn't like taking the full dose," Kat said, moving next to Tommy's chair. "Or even taking the medicine unless he needed it."

Taking the empty chair next to him, Kat started absently rubbing his arm.

"He doesn't," Hayley said, glaring at Kat. "But I found a way around that."

Kat and Rocky both looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Hayley smirked. "He's fine. I never give him more than the recommended dose."

"But how did you get him to take it?" Jason asked.

"I didn't," Hayley said.

"No, she made me," Trent muttered from the other table. "And I never should have let you talk me into it, Hayley. He'd better not be mad at me when he finds out."

"Don't worry, Trent," Hayley said reassuringly. "I'll take the blame. He'll know I was behind it anyways."

"What did you do?" Andros asked curiously.

Hayley shrugged.

"I put his meds in his breakfast shake this morning," she said. "But I knew he wouldn't take it from me, so I convinced Trent to deliver it. Trent's always the last one Tommy suspects."

"I can hear you, you know," Tommy muttered, making everyone around him jump. "And don't worry, Trent. I blame you for nothing. Hayley would have made it happen one way or another, especially after last night…"

"I'm sorry!" Rocky exclaimed.

Aisha patted his arm, shifting Sophia to her other hip.

"Whoops!" Ethan cried from the other side of the room.

Everyone turned to look. TJ was on the ground looking up at Ethan in surprise.

"I have no idea what just happened, man," Ethan said, holding out a hand. "That was supposed to be a block, not a push."

"Some block," TJ muttered as Conner snickered. "And you're lucky you're still injured, kid, or I'd take you down for that."

Conner just laughed harder, backing away from TJ.

"You can't catch me," Conner snorted. "And you don't scare me."

TJ growled, stalking toward the younger ranger.

"Better run, Conner," Carlos said. "Because he'll take you down, bruised ribs and concussion or no."

Conner turned and bolted, TJ chasing after him. Turning away from the commotion, the rangers went back to their conversations. Kim, taking advantage of Kat's distraction, neatly inserted herself in between Kat and Tommy.

"So," Kim said brightly, looking around. "What's the plan for the parade?"

"I hate to interrupt," Ernie said from the counter a while later. "But they need you five for line-up in ten."

The Space Rangers sighed, but they all stood up to leave. The sparring match was over and TJ had been convinced to let Conner be. Conner and Ethan had joined Kira and Trent at the table, both of them drinking smoothies Ernie had made. Carlos and Billy had followed them, making their table a little crowded. Ashley and Cassie had moved to sit with Kim and Trini, only to be replaced by Adam and Rocky, who had decided to take Jason's lead regarding the Space Rangers. They figured if he was alright with them, then they might as well be. Tommy was still in his chair, looking like he was passed out. Kim was sitting on one side while Hayley was on the other. Kat, ousted by Kim and not wanting to sit next to Ashley or Cassie, had moved to sit with Tanya and Aisha. Ken, Jason, Andros, TJ, and Zach were sitting at the next table, laughing about a story Zach was telling them. Mark and Sophia were chasing each other around on the mats, screaming and laughing.

"Come on, guys," TJ sighed. "Let's get this over with."

"Good luck," Jason grinned. "We're gonna stay here for a bit and then blend in with the crowd."

"Yeah, rub it in, man," TJ muttered. "Just you wait—someday it'll be your turn."

"Not if we can help it," Trini said, shaking her head. "Have fun!"

As the Space Rangers headed out into the chaos of parade preparations, Tanya, Aisha, and Kat shook their heads, talking quietly.

"I can't believe they're here," Kat said quietly. "And how can Jason and the others be so open with them, especially with the teens and Hayley here? I mean, sure, it's fine that we—spend time with them. But having them around non-power rangers is going to blow our secret!"

"You are so right, girl," Aisha agreed. "Luckily the kids don't seem to be asking questions."

"Well they do know a few of that team came from here," Tanya pointed out. "So maybe they assume we knew them before."

"Maybe," Kat sighed.

They all paused for a moment, glancing at the door the Space Rangers had exited through. Shaking her head, Kat glanced back over at Tommy. She frowned when she saw Kim leaning against his shoulder.

"Look at her," Kat said. "She's hanging all over him again."

"And with Ken in the same room," Aisha muttered. "She's got some nerve."

"We really should have a talk with her," Tanya said. "Maybe nothing is going on. After all, we don't have any actual proof. We need to talk to Kim before we make too many assumptions."

Aisha and Kat exchanged glances, but didn't argue. Jason, a few tables over, glanced up at the clock and stood up.

"Alright, everyone," he said, catching their attention. "It's time to head out. If we don't get moving we won't get front row seats for the parade."

The rangers immediately started getting up, grabbing their things, and moving out to the parking lot. Hayley leaned over and gave Tommy a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Time to get up," she said. "We're going to be the last ones here."

"That's alright," Tommy mumbled.

"Come on, bro," Jason said, taking his arm and helping him up. "You can sleep in your chair out on the parade route."

"Mmm k…" he answered.

"Hayley," Jason said as he helped Tommy walk out the door. "Are you sure you didn't give him too much?"

But she just rolled her eyes, grabbing the chairs and leading the way out of the room.

By the time all of the rangers were settled in to watch the parade, it was about to start. The adults were all sitting in chairs spaced out along the roadside. Conner, Ethan, Kira, and Trent were sitting on blankets in front with Sophia and Mark. The little kids were sitting on Conner and Ethan's laps. As the parade started, the sirens on the emergency vehicles blaring, Mark and Sophia both covered their ears. The two older boys helped, covering the kids little hands with their own. And as the parade continued, Conner and Ethan laughed and played with the little kids, encouraging them to wave and smile at the people in the parade.

"Red ranger!" Mark cried, pointing at someone in a red power ranger costume.

"Yep," Conner said. "Red is the best!"

"Red is the best!" Mark repeated.

"Green!" Sophia shouted pointing, as Ethan laughed. Rocky groaned letting his head fall back, while Adam shoved his shoulder.

Float after float passed, occasionally broken up by a local marching band or other performing group. The crowds started screaming even louder as the float with the Space Rangers passed. Jason and the other rangers in the crowd just grinned and waved, glad to be out of the limelight. Laughing, Jason looked over at Tommy, who was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed again.

"Is he actually sleeping?" Jason asked Hayley, yelling over the noise of the crowd.

Hayley reached over and snapped her fingers in front of Tommy's face a few times.

"Yep," she yelled back. "He's out cold."

"How does he do it?" Zach exclaimed. "I wouldn't be able to sleep in this din."

"He's a teacher," Hayley said drily. "Between that and having those four around almost constantly, he's learned to tune out unwanted noise."

As the parade came to an end, the rangers started packing their things up. Hayley woke up Tommy again. Yawning, he stayed in his chair until it was time to start moving. They all moved through the crowd as a group, expertly maneuvering behind Jason who had automatically taken the lead. They'd only made it part of the way back to the youth center when they caught sight of the Space Rangers. They were completely surrounded by excited fans, looking cornered. But with the proximity of the crowd they didn't dare try and teleport out.

"Should we rescue them?" Zach asked as they stopped to watch for a moment.

"No," Jason said firmly. "They got themselves into this and we aren't risking our identities to get them out. D.E.C.A. will pull them as soon as she can."

He turned to continue walking.

"Hold up, Jase," Tommy said.

Jason frowned, but stayed where he was.

"Ethan, Conner," Tommy said, jerking his head toward the Space Rangers.

"Got it, Dr. O!" they called, bolting into the crowd.

"Tommy—" Jason started to say.

"Just give it a moment," Tommy said.

After a moment or two they heard shouting coming from nearby. The crowd started turning to look as the shouts grew louder. And it didn't take long for the crowd around the Space Rangers to get caught up in whatever was going on. The crowd pulled away from them for a moment and, taking advantage of the respite, they disappeared. Not long after, Ethan and Conner reappeared, grinning like Cheshire cats.

"Now we can go," Tommy said, looking at Jason.

"Do I want to know?" Jason asked, looking at the teens.

"Nope," Ethan answered. "But we really should get moving. We don't want security to come looking."

Groaning, Jason started moving through the crowd as fast as he could. By the time they reached the youth center, the crowd had thinned out quite a bit. All of the cars were there because the rangers were all going home from there. They immediately started loading cars and saying their goodbyes.

"And you'll keep in touch, right?" Tanya asked, giving Tommy a hug.

"He will," Hayley answered for him. "Even if I have to make him."

"Thanks, Hayley," Tommy said, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Tanya. I'll stay in touch."

"Next time maybe you can actually spar with us, man," Adam grinned. "Take care of yourself."

Zach was already gone, having said something about a rehearsal for something. Kim and Ken left next, promising to swing by Reefside to help out with Tommy's house renovations in the next few weeks. Before Kim climbed in the car, though, she hurried over to where Tommy was leaning against his jeep.

"You'd better behave yourself," she scolded, giving him a gentle hug.

"I'll do my best," he said drily.

Rolling her eyes, she handed him a piece of paper.

"Call him," she ordered quietly.

"Call who?" Tommy asked, frowning.

Standing on tiptoe to put herself closer to his face, Kim grabbed his shirt so she didn't fall over.

"The physical therapist I was telling you about," she said soft and threatening voice. "I will check in with him and if you haven't—"

"Alright," Tommy sighed. "I will call him."

"Promise?" Kim smiled.

"Promise," Tommy said.

Smiling even brighter, Kim gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before going to climb in the car with Ken. He was laughing, shaking his head. As they drove away, Tommy saw Kim smack Ken on the shoulder. A short ways away, Aisha and Kat were making plans for the next weekend.

"Did you see that, girl?" Aisha asked, staring in Tommy's direction.

Kat nodded, watching Kim run over to her own car.

"She has no shame," Kat said, shaking her head. "Acting like that in front of everyone. And what is that she slipped in his hand?"

"Probably a private number," Aisha answered. "Why else would she not want anyone to see it?"

"Aisha!" Adam called from his car. "You ready? We're leaving?"

Aisha turned, waving for him to give her a moment.

"We'll have to keep an eye out for them," Aisha said.

Kat nodded in agreement. They hugged each other and then Aisha went to get in the car. Taking a deep breath, Kat made her way over to Tommy.

"It was nice seeing you again," she said, smiling at him. "Can we get together sometime soon?"

"Sure," Tommy said. "School is out, so I'll be free most of the summer."

"Great!" Kat exclaimed, grabbing his hand. "It's a date! I'll call you once I know my schedule, alright?"

"Sounds good to me," Tommy agreed.

She would have kept talking, but Hayley was coming back over and she didn't look happy. Giving Tommy a quick hug, Kat promised to call again and climbed into her own car.

"Hayley," Tommy sighed as she came stalking over. "You need to stop scaring Kat. She's going to have a nervous breakdown."

"She'll be fine," Hayley said shortly. "Now we'd better get moving. The kids already left, which means unless we get moving—"

"They'll beat us to the house," Tommy sighed. "Alright. Let's go."

Billy was already sitting in the front seat of the jeep, leaving the backseat open for Tommy to stretch out again. As Tommy climbed in, Jason and Trini rushed over to say a last goodbye.

"Make sure you listen to Hayley, Tommy," Trini scolded gently, giving him a hug. "She knows what she's talking about."

"Yes, Trini," Tommy said patiently.

Smiling, she stepped out of the way so Jason could say goodbye.

"I'll be over next week, bro," Jason said, putting a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Don't push yourself too hard. You've got lots of people ready to help you with the house."

"I'll be fine, Jase," Tommy said. "But thanks."

"Yeah, I've heard that before," Jason muttered, shaking his head.

Tommy just laughed as Hayley started up the jeep. Jason and Trini both stepped out of the way as Hayley started moving. They waved as the jeep pulled out, disappearing down the street.


	14. The call

To be perfectly honest with you our readers I will tell you this story is probably the most rambling one we have ever done and I am on the fence on how much i like the final product. Don't get me wrong we have finished and i will be posting the entire story but it can be a bit long and my mind has moved on to other things. I will be posting several chapters and finishing this story quickly within the next week so hope you like it and let me know if you think I'm wrong! :P :)

Enjoy and keep an eye out for our next story (I enjoy that one much better)

* * *

_Ring… Ring… Ring…_

Adam sighed, hopping up from the table to go grab the phone. Tanya gave him a look, but he just grinned and ran to grab it before it went to voicemail. The group at the table, which consisted of Tanya, Rocky, Aisha, and Kat, went back to talking while Sophia played with her food in her seat. Adam grabbed the phone and stepped out into the hallway to answer.

"Hello?" he said. "Oh, hey Jason. What's up?"

He frowned as he listened to what Jason was saying.

"He's where!" Adam exclaimed, nearly dropping the phone. "The hospital? What did he do this time?—Of course he did…Yeah, it really doesn't surprise me—oh, sure. We can do that—don't worry about calling them, they're all here anyways…yeah, I'll pass on the news—ok. Thanks. Keep us updated—alright, see you tomorrow."

Walking back into the dining room, Adam stopped when he realized everyone else was staring at him.

"What was that about?" Tanya asked expectantly.

Adam took a deep breath before answering.

"Tommy's back in the hospital…" he answered slowly.

"What?" the other rangers exclaimed, making Sophia jump in her seat.

"What happened?" Kat asked, her eyes wide.

"Jason didn't give me all of the details," Adam said. "But apparently Tommy's house recently incurred some structural damage—something about tunnels under the house no longer being stable. Anyways, he has to do some remodeling."

"And how did that put him in the hospital?" Rocky asked, frowning.

"Well…"Adam said slowly. "He was trying to do something he probably shouldn't have. I guess Billy ran out to get dinner and when he got back a few hours later, Tommy was trapped under a beam. He had tried to lift it and lost hold of it. When it fell it landed on top of him. Jason said he was in pretty bad shape."

The girls gasped, Kat's hand flying up to her mouth.

"But they got him to the hospital right away," Adam said quickly. "He's going in for surgery. Jason said the doctor expects everything to go well."

"We have to go see him," Aisha insisted.

The others nodded in agreement. Sophia was banging her fork on her plate, giggling.

"That's the other reason Jason was calling," Adam said. "I guess the doctor says they aren't going to release Tommy from the hospital until he has somewhere safe to go home to. The work on his house needs to get done as soon as possible. Ken is already there, with Kim, helping to get things moving in the right direction, but they could use some more hands."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Rocky asked, looking around. "Let's go."

Arriving in Reefside the next afternoon, the rangers followed Jason's directions to the house.

"Man, he really does live out in the middle of nowhere," Rocky said as he looked at the trees on either side of the road.

"I think that's the driveway," Adam said, slowing down.

He pulled up the driveway and parked in front of the house. Several other cars were there. Originally they had all wanted to go straight to the hospital, but Jason said Tommy was still really out of it. So, after dropping their things off at their hotel, they'd headed out to the house to check in with Ken and the others. Rocky and Aisha had left Sophia with Aisha's parents for the week, not wanting to worry about her running around underfoot in the house. Jason had told them Mark was with Trini's parents for the same reason.

"Great house," Kat commented as they parked.

The rangers all climbed out and headed toward the front door. Adam knocked and they all waited for someone to answer the door. It was Kim who answered.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, immediately stepping outside to hug the others. "Come on in. Ken's out working, but he'll be back soon. Billy's in the kitchen with Zach."

"Where are Jason and Trini?" Tanya asked as they followed Kim into the house.

"Oh, they're at the hospital with Tommy," Kim said. "We've been taking turns staying with him. He's still out of it from surgery and we don't want him to be alone. But they should be back soon"

She shut the door and then turned to lead the way down the hall.

"Don't worry," she grinned, looking back over her shoulder. "You'll all get your turn. Especially once he's awake. Tommy doesn't like to sit still, so the news that he has to stay in the hospital until the house is fixed isn't going to go over well."

Laughing in agreement, they followed her into the kitchen.

"Greetings," Billy said, looking up as they walked into the room.

"Hey guys," Zach grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Was wondering how long it'd take you to get here. We've been here for days. Seen Tommy yet?"

"Not yet," Adam answered, shaking his head. "We decided to come by here first and see what was going on."

"No a whole lot," Zach sighed. "Ken wanted to wait til we were all in one spot to go over everything. He's supposed to be back not long after Jason and Trini."

"How's Tommy doing?" Kat asked hesitantly.

Billy and Zach looked at each other and then back at the others.

"He is recovering as expected," Billy said.

"But he is so out of it," Zach grinned. "It's great. There's more than one reason we don't leave him alone."

Kim rolled her eyes, cuffing Zach on the shoulder. Billy was looking at a text on his phone.

"It's not his fault," she said.

Billy glanced up.

"Jason says they're going to be a little later than expected," Billy said. "Hayley has been unexpectedly delayed at the café."

"Then why don't we go meet them at the hospital?" Tanya suggested. "It would be nice to see Tommy before we all get to work."

As everyone else chorused in agreement, Billy, Zach, and Kim hurried to get shoes on.

At the hospital a short time later, all eight of the rangers trooped up to Tommy's room, Kim in the lead. They found Trini and Jason sitting in Tommy's room, talking quietly. Tommy was awake and turned to look when the group walked in.

"'lo," he mumbled. "Who're you?"

Kim, Zach, and Billy just smiled, grabbing some of the chairs scattered around the room. The other five walked over to his bed.

"It's us, Tommy," Kat said, placing her hand over his. "How are you feeling?"

Tommy didn't answer. Frowning, he turned to look at Jason and Trini.

"It's fine, Tommy," Trini said, smiling. "They're here to visit you. They're your friends, too."

"K…" Tommy said, turning back. "Who?"

Aisha, Kat, and Tanya exchanged concerned glances.

"Tommy," Kat repeated. "It's us. Don't you recognize us?"

"Us?" Tommy asked, frowning. "But…Huh?"

Zach snorted, stifling laughter as Kim elbowed him.

"It's Kat, Tommy," she said. "And Tanya, Aisha, Rocky, and Adam."

"Where'sa ca'?" he asked, looking around in confusion. "I don' see…"

Zach lost it, nearly falling off his chair as the others chuckled. Kat and Rocky both looked at Tommy in shock. But he didn't notice. He just stared around in confusion.

"As you can see, he's still out of it," Jason chuckled.

"Why?" Tommy asked.

"Because they drugged you," Jason said answered without missing a beat. "And now it's time to rest while the drugs wear off. Ok?"

"No," said Tommy, trying to shake his head. "Not tired…"

Jason sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Yes you are, bro," he insisted. "Now go to sleep."

"No," Tommy said again.

"Tommy," Jason said as the door opened to admit Dr. Walsh and a nurse. "You're tired. Sleep."

"'m no' tired…" he mumbled in protest.

"Being stubborn as usual I see, Dr. Oliver," Dr. Walsh said.

Tommy started looking around the room in surprise.

"Zordon?" he said, confused again.

Some of the rangers looked at him in horror, but Jason, Trini, Zach, Billy, and Kim just sighed. Dr. Walsh just chuckled and shook his head, taking it in stride. The nurse didn't say a word, she just walked over to the bed to check Tommy.

"What did you give him?" Tanya exclaimed.

Before Dr. Walsh could answer, the door opened again.

"Fentanyl," Hayley said, walking into the room. "And ketamine. Not to mention he's still coming off the anesthesia. Hello, everyone. It got crowded all of a sudden."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Adam said. "We all wanted to see him, so…"

"It's fine," Hayley smiled.

"He's all set for now, Hayley," Dr. Walsh said as the nurse finished up with Tommy. "If you need anything, just let us know."

"Thank you, Dr. Walsh," Hayley said.

"Thanks, Alpha," Tommy mumbled as the nurse walked away.

She just shook her head and kept going, following Dr. Walsh out of the room. The moment the door close, the rangers whipped around to look at Jason.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Aisha asked, belatedly remembering Hayley was in the room. "He—he shouldn't be rambling like that in front of the doctor. I mean—mmm…"

Aisha trailed off, looking around as she tried to cover her tracks. Hayley frowned but shook her head, taking the seat Jason offered her next to Tommy's bed.

"He's drugged right now," Hayley said. "Do you realize how many odd things doctors and nurses hear when patients are drugged? I doubt the names Zordon and Alpha are the weirdest things they've ever heard."

"She's right," Jason said, moving to stand behind Trini's chair. "They'll just assume he heard them from a movie or a book. So it's no big deal."

Aisha, Rocky, Adam, Tanya, and Kat exchanged hesitant looks, but nodded. The other rangers didn't look worried at all. Hayley's entire focus was on Tommy now.

"So you don't want to go to sleep?" she asked, leaning forward to talk to him.

"Huh?" Tommy said, turning to look at her. "No' tired…"

Sighing, Hayley turned her attention back to the rangers for a moment.

"Why don't you guys go ahead back to the house?" she said. "He really does need to sleep. Jason, you can set up a rotation of who is going to sit with him."

"Got it, Hayley," he grinned. "Good luck with him. Been trying to convince him to go to sleep for the past hour or so."

"Oh, he's going to sleep," Hayley said firmly, turning back to Tommy.

"Hi, Hayley…" Tommy said, looking at her as though he'd just noticed she was there.

The rangers all started moving toward the door, shooting glances at Tommy and Hayley.

"Tommy," she said gently, running a hand through his hair. "You need to go to sleep now."

"But—" he started to protest.

"No buts," Hayley said. "Sleep."

He frowned, looking up at her.

"You'll stay?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll stay," Hayley said. "As long as you go to sleep. If you don't go to sleep I'm going to leave you here by yourself."

"No," Tommy said. "Stay."

"Then close your eyes and go to sleep," Hayley said.

Tommy nodded and obediently closed his eyes.

"Mm k," he mumbled.

Pausing by the door, Jason chuckled and shook his head. The rest of the rangers were already in the hallway.

"I try for an hour and get nothing," he said. "You try for less than five minutes and he's out."

And he was. Tommy was out cold, Hayley's hand resting on his cheek now.

"I have a gentler touch," she smirked. "Plus, I don't think it's your face he wants to fall asleep to."

"Ouch," Jason said as Trini laughed just outside the door. "I see where I'm not wanted."

Turning, he strode out the door and shut it behind him. But it opened back up a moment later.

"Need someone to bring you dinner or did you eat already?" Jason asked, poking his head inside.

"I ate at the café," Hayley smiled. "Thanks anyways."

Nodding, Jason disappeared out the door again, leaving Hayley with a sleeping Tommy.

Back at Tommy's house, the rangers piled out of the cars and trooped inside. Ken was already there, waiting in the kitchen with several piles of paper spread out over the table.

"There you are," he said, glancing up.

Kim smiled, walking over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Who wants something to drink?" she asked, looking around the room. "There's coffee, tea, hot chocolate…"

As everyone answered Kim, Trini joined her. Between the two of them, they soon had hot water going and cups on the counter. Once everyone had a drink, they all moved into the living room where there were more seats.

"So, what's the plan?" Adam asked, looking at Ken expectantly.

Ken was sitting in one of the arm chairs, Kim snuggled in with him as she sipped her tea. Kat had claimed another chair for herself across the room while Jason, with Trini in his lap, had another. Adam, Rocky, Tanya, and Aisha were crowded onto the couch while Zach and Billy had opted for seats on the floor rather than sharing an already crowded space.

"Well," Ken said, leaning back in the chair. "Most of the damage to the house centers around Tommy's office and toward the back of the house. It also extended out through part of the hallway and the kitchen. As you can see, I've already replaced any damaged beams and supports in the main hall. That's actually where Tommy was working when he got hurt."

"So what do you need us to do?" Tanya asked.

"We won't be doing anything today," Ken said. "It's too late in the day. We'll get started first thing tomorrow."

The rangers nodded.

"Now, I've still got work to do on the foundation of the house," Ken continued. "So I'll be spending most of my time down there making sure everything is stabilized and properly supported. While I'm down there, Jason will be supervising up here. He helped with the renovations to his dojo, so he knows the answers to the most common problems."

"And if I don't know the answer I have you on speed dial," Jason grinned, his arms wrapped around Trini's waist.

"Exactly," Ken nodded. "So tomorrow I'll need some of you to finish up in the hallway. As I said before, it's nearly done. I've already replaced everything and re-hung drywall. I'll need some of you to mud and paint the walls. You'll have to put the baseboards back in, too. I trust one of you knows how to properly use a nail gun?"

Several of the guys nodded in agreement.

"Good," he said. "To continue, plumbing and electric through the house also needs to be checked for damage, so a few of you can work on that. Once all of that basic stuff is done, we'll start opening up some more walls in the kitchen and office to make sure everything is the way it's supposed to be. Nothing cracked, burnt, or damaged in any way. The roof has also sustained some damage, but I'll handle that myself once I'm done with the foundation."

"And he doesn't trust us to not fall off of the roof," Kim said drily.

Ken glared at her, but she just smirked.

"Anyways," he said. "And the final renovation is going to be a surprise for Tommy. Since we're already doing a ton of construction on his office, I've decided to go ahead and expand it. That's give him more room for a small library and a place to set up a computer if he wants to. But we'll worry about that once we start tearing down walls back there."

"So, do I get to use any power tools?" Zach asked, grinning.

"Umm… I'm going to leave that up to Jason for the moment…" Ken said slowly. "He's got the list of everything that needs to get done tomorrow, so I'll let him pass out assignments."

Zach immediately whipped around to look at Jason who just shook his head.

"And the best part of the remodel," Kim said excitedly, interrupting before Zach could complain, "is that we get to update Tommy's décor! There are too many neutrals in this house. Brown, tan, occasionally some green—we need to brighten it up."

Ken sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Let's not go there right now, Kim," Jason interrupted before she could continue. "Save it for after the construction work is done."

She glared at him, but settled back against Ken's shoulder.

"Anyways," Jason said. "While we're working, we're also going to have to take shifts sitting with Tommy at the hospital. We all know how stubborn he can be. He's not going to want to stay put in bed and Hayley can't watch him twenty-four hours a day. So we'll all be taking turns. Starting bright and early in the morning."

"I'll take the first shift!" Kim exclaimed, shooting upright and nearly knocking Ken's coffee out of his hand.

Jason raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Fine," he said. "Now, how do we want to do the rest of this?"

Sometime later, they'd worked out somewhat of a rotation for staying with Tommy and keeping him company. As the group started getting ready to head out for the night, Zach paused, frowning.

"So, what exactly are we doing with Tommy at the hospital?" he asked, looking around.

"Entertaining him," Jason answered. "He's not supposed to get out of bed, so get creative."

"Ok," Zach said slowly. "So you want us to hire strippers?"

"Zach!" the girls all exclaimed, glaring at him.

"What?" he asked. "How else am I supposed to entertain him?"

Jason groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. Heading out the front door, the rangers shut the door behind them and headed for their cars.

"Try talking to him, Zach," Jason sighed. "Or take some cards. You could probably even take some movies. Just no snacks since he's on dietary restrictions."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zach grumbled. "And I supposed there are all sorts of rules to follow, too…Leave it to Tommy to stick us all in the hospital with nothing to do, just to keep him doing nothing..."


	15. Repairs or ERs?

"Hayley," Tommy sighed. "Do you have to eat that in front of me?"

She smirked, popping another piece of popcorn in her mouth. The open bag was sitting in her lap, just out of Tommy's reach. His lunch, abandoned for the moment, was on the bedside table next to him.

"I'm hungry," she said, eating another piece. "And I can't leave until someone else gets here—and they're running late."

"And how's that my fault?" he grumbled, glaring at her. "You shouldn't be punishing me."

"Oh, quit whining," Hayley retorted. "Your lunch is right there."

"My lunch?" Tommy said, raising an eyebrow as he carefully grabbed the tray. "You mean this—I actually don't know what this is…"

He'd stuck the spoon in the bowl to scoop some of the mush up as a demonstration.

"I think it might be wallpaper paste," he said, frowning as he watched it slowly slide off of the spoon.

"Tommy," Hayley said, rolling her eyes. "It's not wallpaper paste."

"It has the same consistency," Tommy argued.

"It—oh, alright," she conceded. "It does. But you still have to eat it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tommy muttered, staring at what was left on the spoon.

A knock on the door caught both of their attention. Tommy set lunch aside again, grateful for the distraction, as Hayley stood up. She set the popcorn down and started to walk away, but caught Tommy reaching for the bag out of the corner of her eye.

"Nope," she said, whipping around and snatching the bag out of reach. "None for you."

"Hayley," Tommy groaned.

But she just walked to the door, popping another piece of popcorn in her mouth.

"It's about time," she said, opening the door. "I was starting to think—oh my. What on earth?"

Shaking her head and snickering, nearly choking on popcorn, Hayley backed out of the way to admit the rangers.

"Hey guys," Tommy said, watching them walk in. "How's it—oh boy."

Jason, Trini, Kim, Ken, and Billy all paused not too far inside the door, which Hayley closed behind them. All of them, except Jason, were a mess. Trini was covered from head to toe in a grey, mud-like substance and grey dust. There were chunks of it in her hair and streaked all over the rest of her body. Her normally dark hair looked grey with its coat of dust. Ken's right arm was a bright white from fingertip to elbow. He was also covered in dust, but not to the same extent as Trini. His tool belt was still around his waist, a solid white hammer hanging from it. Kim and Billy, who were also covered in dust, were standing very close to one another. Billy's hand was wrapped around Kim's upper arm as though grabbing it. Both his hand and the surrounding skin of Kim's arm was covered in a white, goopy substance.

"What happened?" Tommy exclaimed, looking over at Hayley, who was still stifling a laugh.

"To which one?" Jason muttered. "Cause they've all got stories."

Tommy didn't answer for a moment, shaking his head as he looked at his friends.

"Trini," he finally said. "What is that stuff in your hair? And on your arms and—well, everywhere?"

"Drywall mud," she sighed mournfully, looking down at herself.

"But how did you get it all over yourself like that?" he asked, frowning.

"Tanya fell off of the ladder and knocked the bucket onto my head," she answered.

"Tanya did what?" Tommy exclaimed.

"She's fine," Kim said quickly. "Well, she's in the E.R.—"

"But she's still fine," Jason interrupted. "They just wanted to run some tests to make sure."

"So I'm assuming Adam is with her," Tommy said. "But where—"

"Same place," Jason sighed. "Adam is actually waiting to hear results on all of them…"

Tommy and Hayley exchanged concerned glances.

"All of them?" Hayley asked.

"Yeah," Jason muttered. "There were some accidents…"

"It isn't any of the kids, is it?" Hayley immediately said.

"Nope, they're fine," Ken answered, shaking his head. "Last I saw they were going full speed ahead on the next project. They're doing great down in the tunnels. No one's broken a thing."

"Not even Conner?" Tommy asked in surprise.

"Not even Conner," Ken confirmed.

"They are doing good," Tommy admitted, then frowned. "So then, how—?"

"Trini should probably explain," Jason said. "I missed most of it."

"That would explain why you're in good shape," Tommy said. "So what exactly happened, Trini?"

Taking a deep breath, Trini looked around for a moment before starting.

"Well," she said. "We were in the hallway mudding the drywall…"

_Trini straightened up and stretched for a moment before returning to the section she was working on. Along with Tanya, Aisha, and Kim, Trini was working on mudding all of the drywall in the hallway. Zach and Billy were putting some baseboards back in place toward the front end of the hallway a short distance away. Kat was following behind them with a hammer to make sure the nails went in all the way. Kim, Aisha, and Trini were spread out along the hallway, plastering the mud in place while Tanya was up on a ladder doing the same. _

"_Careful, Tanya," Trini said, glancing up as she scooped some more mud. "Don't reach too far. We can always move the ladder."_

"_I know," Tanya said, pausing for a moment. "Just this last spot and I'll climb down."_

_Nodding, Trini looked back at her own section. Leaning over, Tanya stretched to reach a spot that was almost out of reach. But as she leaned over, her foot slipped in some wet drywall mud on the rung of the ladder and she lost her footing. Falling forward, Tanya knocked the ladder over and crashed to the ground. The bucket of mud, which had been sitting on top of the ladder, fell and dumped its contents all over Trini, who gasped in shock._

"_Tanya!" Aisha and Kim exclaimed, rushing to help her up._

_Trini, now covered in drywall mud, turned to see if Tanya was alright. With Aisha and Kim's help, she sat up, wincing. Kat, Billy, and Zach had all frozen down the hallway at the crash and were watching in concern. _

"_I'm going to feel that in the morning," Tanya muttered, waving off offers to help her up. "Think I'll stay down here for a minute. Oh!"_

_She'd just seen Trini._

"_I'm so sorry!" Tanya exclaimed. "I didn't mean to—"_

"_You're fine, Tanya," Trini said. "But, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to try and get some of this stuff off of me…"_

"_Good idea," Kim said, nodding. "Because once it hardens you're going to have problems…"_

_Nodding, Trini turned and hurried up the stairs, leaving the others to take care of Tanya. Upstairs, she headed straight for the guest bathroom to hop in the shower, planning to just get in with her clothes on since they were covered too. But when she turned the handle, nothing happened. There wasn't any water._

"_Great," she muttered. "Just great."_

_Sighing, Trini decided to try Tommy's room next, hoping it still had running water. But when she walked into his bathroom she froze in horror._

"_What happened in here?" she cried._

_Adam and Rocky looked up in surprise. Soaking wet, Adam was lying on the floor inspecting some of the plumbing under the sink. Rocky was nearby staring at the toilet, which was somehow missing a rather large chunk. Part of the floor had also been ripped up to get to the plumbing underneath the floor._

"_Umm…We're checking the plumbing," Rocky said._

"_Tommy's going to have a fit when he finds out about this!" Trini groaned. "You weren't supposed to dismantle the entire bathroom!"_

"_Oh," Rocky said._

"_Told you, man," Adam said, shaking his head. "You really should have left the toilet alone."_

_Taking a deep breath, Trini pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers. Downstairs, the front door opened and closed. _

"_Oh, good," Trini said, shooting a glare at Adam and Rocky. "Don't touch anything else."_

_Trini took a deep breath._

"_JASON!" she cried as loudly as she could._

_A moment later all three of them could hear footsteps pounding up the stairs. Jason came running into Tommy's bathroom, apparently thinking someone was hurt._

"_What's wrong?" he exclaimed, skidding into the room. "Is everyone—oh no…What did you do?"_

"_Checked the plumbing," Rocky answered. _

_Jason groaned, rubbing a hand over his face as he turned back to Trini._

"_Did you just find them like—" he froze, staring at Trini now. "Honey, what happened?"_

_Trini sighed as she tried scraping some of the mud off. _

"_Tanya knocked the drywall mud bucket over my head," she said._

_Jason took a deep breath._

"_Alright," he said. "Here's what's going to happen. Trini—go outside and use the hose to get as much of that stuff off before it hardens. I'll take you back to the hotel to shower soon. Adam and Rocky? Start cleaning up."_

_Leaving Jason to supervise the cleanup, Trini headed outside to see what she could get hosed off._

"Turns out Rocky turned off the water supply completely," she said, sighing. "They'd forgotten to turn it off right away, which is how Adam got soaked, along with the enitrety of your master bathroom, but when they did get it off they really turned it off. No water from the hose…I've had to scrape off what I could…"

Tommy was shaking his head, a look of shock on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. Hayley looked at him in concern.

"They're destroying my house," he muttered as the heart rate monitor picked up.

"Tommy, relax," Hayley said, sitting back down next to them. "There's no need to stress yourself out."

He didn't answer, but just kept shaking his head as he continued to worry about the condition of his house.

"Alright," Hayley sighed. "Hold up a moment, everyone. He's going to need something to relax him before we hear the rest of this story. Other wise he will start setting off alarms."

Standing back up, Hayley walked over to the door and poked her head out in the hallway. A moment later a nurse came into the room. She glared around the room, but didn't say anything until she was done with Tommy. Turning around, the nurse surveyed the rangers, raising an eyebrow at their appearance.

"Now," she said sternly. "If any of you upsets Dr. Oliver again, I will have security escort you from the building."

Eyes wide, the rangers nodded.

"Oh, don't worry," Hayley said, sitting down next to Tommy again. "If they upset him too much I'll remove them myself."

Nodding in satisfaction, the nurse left the group alone again. Tommy took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as the minor sedative took effect.

"Maybe we should save this for later," Jason said slowly.

"No," Tommy said shortly, opening his eyes. "Just get it over with."

Jason nodded, looking at Kim to continue the story. She took a deep breath.

"Well, not too long after Trini headed outside," Kim said. "Rocky was coming down the stairs with what was left of the toilet…"

_Hearing footsteps at the top of the stairs, Kim glanced up to see Rocky making his way down with a broken toilet. He and Adam had already made several trips to the dumpster from the bathroom. Trini was still outside scraping drywall mud off of herself, having discovered the outside water was off as well. Tanya, still slightly dazed from her fall, was sitting against the wall in the hallway talking with Aisha as she continued mudding the walls. Billy and Zach had returned to working on the baseboards, Kat following with the hammer as they moved closer to the bottom of the stairs. Kim had taken a break from mudding the walls to scrape up some of the mud that had splattered when the bucket fell. _

"_Just a second, Rocky," Kim said. "Let me get some more of this stuff off the stairs first."_

"_Alright," he said, pausing on the step he was on. _

_Finishing up the step she was on, Kim scooted backward out of the way._

"_You're fine now, Rocky," she said, standing up to move. _

_Nodding, he started moving down the stairs again. But he hadn't made it more than a few steps when he missed his footing and fell. Everyone spun in horror as he crashed down the steps. The toilet went flying, smashing around him as Rocky tumbled down the stairs. Kim leapt backwards, letting out a scream as she tried to avoid flying porcelain and nearly fell backward. But Billy jumped and grabbed her arm, keeping her from falling. Zach, trying to do the same as Kim, tripped and fell backward with a yelp. Kat lost grip of the hammer she was holding and dropped it, screaming in pain as the heavy tool landed on her foot. _

"_Rocky!" Aisha cried, dropping the mudding knife in her hand and darting toward her husband where he was now lying on the bottom of the stairs, groaning. _

_She slipped on mud and porcelain pieces, falling forward and cracking her head on the bottom of the stairs. Groaning, Rocky rolled over to check on her. Jason, hearing the screaming from outside, came running in, Trini not far behind him. Tanya was up and leaning against the wall, holding her head._

"_Are you alright?" he asked, pausing next to her._

"_I'm fine," she said. "I'm just a little dizzy. Stood up too quickly…"_

_Nodding, he turned to the rest of the group. Rocky and Aisha were both lying at the bottom of the stairs now, bleeding from porcelain cuts. Zach was lying on the ground behind Kim and Billy, grimacing in pain. Billy was still holding Kim's arm as they stared around in shock. Kat was sitting on the ground against the wall, her eyes squeezed shut as she gingerly shifted her foot and gasped in pain. _

"_What happened?" Trini exclaimed, looking around in shock. _

"_I don't know," Kim answered, staring up at the ceiling. _

_Jason followed her gaze and froze. There was a foot sticking through the ceiling which could only belong to Adam. Groaning, Jason shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he looked around at the other rangers. As he crouched by the bottom of the stairs, trying to decide what to do first, the door opened and Ken walked in. He froze in complete shock. _

"_What on earth happened?" Ken exclaimed. "I was only gone for an hour!"_

_Shaking his head again, Jason moved to help Rocky and Aisha sit up. _

"_What didn't happen?" Jason muttered. "Tanya spilled drywall mud on Trini to start with. Rocky and Adam dismantled Tommy's bathroom and then everything exploded."_

"_Rocky fell down the stairs with the toilet," Kim said, looking at Ken with wide eyes. "And then Aisha and Zach both fell and Kat dropped a hammer on her foot…Oh. Billy, you can let go now."_

_Billy started and realized he was still holding her arm. He tried letting go and then frowned._

"_It would seem we have a small dilemma," he said._

"_What?" Kim asked, glancing at his hand. "Oh no…"_

_Billy had been handling the industrial glue as the replaced the baseboards. Some of it had gotten on his hands without his notice. So when he had grabbed Kim's arm with that hand, it had glued them together when he didn't immediately let go. _

"_I'll go get solvent," Ken sighed. "Jason, start getting everyone in the car. I'll be right—why is there a foot sticking through the ceiling?"_

_He'd glanced up as he turned around and saw Adam's foot._

"_I'm really not sure," Jason sighed. "About anything, actually…"_

"_I'll go help Adam," Trini said, stepping carefully around Rocky and Aisha and heading up the stairs. _

_Shaking his head, Ken went to get solvent for Kim and Billy. Jason groaned._

"_Alright," he said. "Let's get everyone outside." _

_Straightening up, he pulled Rocky to his feet._

"_Can you walk?" he asked._

"_I think so," Rocky mumbled, starting to take a step forward. _

_But he stumbled, his balance wavering._

"_I guess not," Jason muttered, catching him. _

_One at a time he started moving injured rangers out to the car. Trini and Adam, once they were downstairs, started helping. Adam said he'd put his foot through the subfloor and then the ceiling when he heard the screams. He'd run to help and had stopped paying attention to where he was stepping. He was limping, but fine otherwise. By the time Ken was back and applying the solvent, Kat and Zach were the only other ones left in the house. Jason helped Zach up and headed back outside again. _

"_Go on out to the car," Ken said, finished applying the solvent on and around Billy's hand. "I'll help Kat and meet you out there."_

_Turning around to help Kat, he frowned when he saw the hammer on the ground next to her._

"_Kat," he said, helping her to her feet. "Why were you using a roofing hammer in here?"_

"_I kind of lost the other one," she said as they started moving._

_She leaned on him as they walked, trying to put as little weight on her injured foot as possible._

"_How did you lose it?" Ken asked, shutting the door behind them._

"_I dropped it in the kitchen," she sighed. "Into that bucket of white stuff…"_

"_The primer?" Ken exclaimed._

_Kat nodded as he helped her into the car. Adam was sitting in the very back so he wouldn't get the seats wet, Tanya leaning against him. Jason had laid a blanket over the backseat for Aisha and Rocky to sit on. Both of them were holding gauze against the worst of their cuts. Aisha was leaning against Rocky's shoulder with her eyes closed. Billy and Kim were sitting next to each other since they were still stuck. Kat sat next to them. Trini was in the front passenger seat next to Jason. Ken groaned as Kat took her seat. _

"_My poor hammer," Ken muttered shaking his head._

"_We're ready to go," Jason said, looking at Ken._

"_Give me a moment,' Ken said, turning back toward the house. _

"Once Ken came back out, Jason drove us here," Kim finished. "We left the others in the E.R. with Adam in charge…"

Tommy groaned, shaking his head again. Hayley just patted his arm.

"Great," Tommy said, rubbing a hand across his face. "So, tell me again. Why are all of them in the E.R.?"

"Tanya fell off a ladder," Kim answered. "Rocky fell down the stairs, Aisha cracked her head on the stairs, Kat dropped a roofing hammer on her foot, and Zach…"

Kim shook her head, starting to laugh as she explained.

"Zach—well, he—" she tried again. "No—I just can't… I can't—Billy?"

She lost it, laughing into her hand. Tommy looked at Billy expectantly.

"Alright, what's going on with Zach?" Tommy asked.

"Well," Billy said slowly, trying to decide on the best way to explain. "He is currently having several—intrusions—removed from his—from his gluteus maximus…"

Hayley and Tommy stared at him in shock for a moment as the other rangers snickered. Then Hayley lost it.

"He's having nails taken out of his butt?" she burst out, laughing hard.

"Precisely," Billy answered.

His answer just made her laugh harder. Tommy took a deep breath, visibly fighting an outburst of laughter himself.

"I would like to point out, however," Jason said, chuckling with the others, "that only one of mine is in the E.R. The rest of them belong to Adam."

Tommy groaned, shaking his head.

"But I still don't understand what happened to you, Ken," Tommy said, taking another deep breath. "Why on earth is your arm white?"

"Well," he said slowly. "Kat told me she dropped my good hammer in the primer…"

_Muttering under his breath, Ken hurried back into the house while the others waited in Jason's van. When he came back, his arm was coated in white and he was trying to wipe primer off of his hammer with a rag. Jason rolled his eyes as Ken climbed in the car._

"_You just had to do it, didn't you?" Jason asked as he started the car._

"_It's my good hammer," Ken protested._

_Chuckling, Jason drove down the driveway and headed for the hospital. _

That was the last straw for Tommy. He lost it and burst out laughing.

"Ow, ow, ow…" he muttered. "Ahh… that hurts…"

Reaching over, he hit the button that controlled his pain medication.

"That's it," Hayley announced. "He's been avoiding using that since he woke up. He must be in real pain. Out. Everyone out!"

She started shooing the rangers out of the room.

"Go check on the others," she said. "And clean yourselves up. Frankly, I don't think any of you are sanitary anyways. So out!"

Grumbling, the rangers trooped out of the room. Hayley turned back to Tommy, who was still grimacing.

"I'm calling the nurse again," she said, sighing. "You need to sleep again as that's the only way I can get you to continuously take your pain medication."

"Hayley," Tommy protested, wincing as he shifted. "I'm fine."

"Not taking no for an answer," she said, stepping out into the hallway.

It didn't take the nurse long to come back. After Tommy had been given the stronger sedative, Hayley sat down next to him, running her hand through his hair again.

"Hayley," Tommy mumbled. "Will you…"

He trailed off, trying to wake himself up as the meds took hold.

"I'll go check on the kids," she said, smiling. "And see what the rest of the house looks like…"

"K…" he said. "Thanks…"

Smiling, Hayley leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Once she was sure he was out, she turned off the light and slipped out of the room.

"Go fish," Conner sighed, staring at the cards in his hand.

Three of the four teens were sitting on the floor down in the lab playing Go Fish. Ethan had declined to join, pulling out his lap top instead.

"Wonder what's taking Ken so long," Trent commented, drawing a card. "He said two hours."

"And it's been six," Kira sighed, studying her cards.

"And I'm hungry," Conner grumbled. "We should have just left three hours ago like I suggested."

"Conner," Kira said. "We promised to wait here."

He sighed, but didn't protest. They'd stopped arguing about that several hours before. Footsteps echoing down the hall to the back entrance caught their attention. All four immediately looked around to see who was coming.

"Hey guys," Hayley smiled, walking in holding a few pizza boxes. "I brought dinner."

"Yes!" Conner exclaimed.

He leapt to his feet and dashed to meet Hayley, snatching a box out of her hands and darting away with it. Hayley rolled her eyes as the other three kids stared.

"Don't worry, guys," she said, setting down the other boxes. "That's why I bought more than one pizza."

"Thanks, Hayley," Trent said, hopping up to help her. "This is great."

Kira and Ethan echoed his thanks.

"I used Tommy's credit card," Hayley grinned, handing Trent a small pile of paper plates. "His treat for doing a good job down here. Ken says you guys have been doing an amazing job."

"Yeah, we're all done with what he gave us," Ethan said, glancing up from his computer to take the plate Trent offered. "So we've been trying to entertain ourselves."

"And how is that going?" Hayley asked, taking a seat.

They all had pizza now. Conner was just eating out of the box he'd taken instead of off a plate.

"I made that," Ethan said, pointing off to the side of the room.

Hayley glanced over to see what he was pointing at. A short distance away, out of the way of people's feet, a small robot was moving around in a circle.

"I took some of the old, broken computer parts," Ethan continued. "He's almost done. Gonna program him to follow Conner and clean up after him."

Hayley snorted, laughing as Conner protested.

"I don't make that much of a mess!" he exclaimed.

No one said anything in response, they all just turned to look at him.

"Well, maybe I do sometimes," he muttered reluctantly.

"So where's Ken?" Kira asked, ignoring Conner. "We thought he'd be back to check on us hours ago."

"He's still at the hospital," Hayley answered, taking a bite of her pizza.

"He's where?" Trent asked in surprise.

"The hospital," Hayley sighed. "He's with Jason and the other rangers…"

"What happened?" Ethan asked.

"To Ken? Nothing," Hayley answered. "Unless you count him sticking his arm up to his elbow into a bucket of primer. And Jason is fine, too. The others… Well, let's just say they need some lessons in construction…The house is a wreck…"

"What did they do?" asked Kira.

Hayley finished chewing and paused before she answered.

"Well," she said slowly. "Tanya fell off a ladder and dumped drywall mud on Trini… Rocky fell down the stairs with a toilet… Kat dropped a hammer on her foot… Aisha tripped and hit her head… Adam stuck his foot through the ceiling…Billy glued his hand to Kim's arm…oh—and Zach sat on a roll of nails, which he had to have removed in the E.R."

Conner, who had just taken a bite of pizza, choked and started coughing. The others burst out laughing, too, and Trent reached over and pounded Conner on the back. Once the coughing fit had died down, Hayley continued.

"They're all going to be fine," she said. "A few of them need stitches—Trini needs a shower—but they'll be back to work tomorrow. Under Ken's strict supervision so they don't destroy the house..."

"Does Dr. O know about this?" Kira asked, laughter under control now.

"Oh, he knows," Hayley said drily. "The rangers told him everything. He started having a panic attack."

The teens' eyes widened.

"Is he alright?" Trent asked in concern.

"He's fine," Hayley quickly reassured them. "He's sleeping now, which is why I'm here. None of the rangers are going to be in any shape to stay with him tonight anyways."

"We can help," Conner said. "That way you can get some sleep."

Hayley smiled.

"We'll see," she said.

It was quiet for a moment.

"Hayley," Ethan said. "Any chance your cameras upstairs are still recording?"

"Yes," she said. "Why?"

"Can you bring up a playback of what happened?" he asked. "I've just go to see what happened with my own eyes."

As the other three snickered, Hayley nodded. Twisting around in her chair, she grabbed a bag off of the floor and pulled out her laptop.

"Let's see what I can find," she laughed as they gathered around her.

"Rocky!" Zach exclaimed. "Get your smelly feet away from my face!"

Zach was stretched across the bed in the hotel suite. Lying on his stomach, he was propped up on pillows facing the other rangers. They were scattered around the room, talking and relaxing now that they were all back from the hospital. Rocky, slightly out of it from the drugs he'd been given, was also stretched out on the bed. But his feet kept shifting closer and closer to Zach's face.

"Seriously, dude!" Zach grumbled, shoving Rocky's feet away again. "Get your own space!"

"Relax, Zach," Jason grinned. "Or you could always move somewhere else."

Zach glared at him as the other rangers snickered. Jason was sitting in an armchair, Trini curled up in his lap. She was dressed in scrubs from the hospital. While they were there the staff had allowed her to use a shower to get the drywall mud off. Her clothes, however, had been too stiff to put back on so they'd also given her some scrubs to wear until she could change into clean clothes. Billy and Kim, who were no longer glued together, had taken seats on opposite sides of Jason and Trini in the other two armchairs.

"You're hilarious, Jason," Zach muttered, shifting carefully. "So funny."

Tanya and Kat were sharing the smaller of the two couches in the large room. Adam was sitting on the ground in front of Tanya, leaning back against the couch with his left leg stretched out. He had an ice pack sitting on his ankle. Kat's foot was propped up on a small stool. She was wearing a walking cast, having broken a couple of bones in her foot. Tanya was fine now that she'd had some time to relax from her fall. Aisha was stretched out on the other couch, her eyes closed. There was a large bandage covering part of her forehead and many more visible on her arms. She'd managed to avoid stitches despite the multiple cuts from the porcelain she'd fallen into.

"Should he even be sleeping right now?" Zach grumbled, glaring at Rocky.

"He's fine," Aisha answered without opening her eyes. "The doctor said as long as we keep an eye on him sleep was allowed."

Rocky had sustained a minor concussion on his trip down the stairs. He'd also gotten some stitches for some of the deeper porcelain cuts and was wearing more Band-Aids then Aisha. The medicine they'd given him at the hospital made him sleepy, so he'd passed out the moment they'd gotten back.

"Alright," Zach snapped, shoving Rocky's feet away again. "That's—"

He was interrupted by an odd knocking on the door. It sounded like someone was pounding on the bottom of it from out in the hallway. Frowning, Kim hopped up to go answer the door.

"Hello?" she said as she poked her head out. "Oh! Hi, sweetheart!"

She opened the door the rest of the way to admit Ken to the room. He was carrying several boxes of pizza in his hands and had his phone pressed between his ear and his shoulder.

"Tommy, no—Tomm—Yes, I understand," he sighed as he walked into the room.

Kim shut the door behind him as he continued to argue over the phone.

"No, I'm not going to let anyone else use power tools," Ken said, standing just inside the room. "No—oh, alright, yes. Jason can also use the power tools—uh-huh. And I think we can put Billy and Trini on that list. Goodness knows they've had enough experience—what? No! Hayley is not on that list for a reason—Would someone please take the pizzas?"

He snapped the last part at the rangers, who were staring at him arguing with Tommy.

"What? Oh, sorry," he muttered on the phone as Trini and Kim took the boxes from him.

Shifting the phone into his hand, Ken went back to talking to Tommy.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I'm sorry I said the word pizza—yeah, anyways—no, Hayley is still not allowed to use my power tools—because she won't stop upgrading them!—No. Rocket fuel is not a good idea in construction equipment—I don't care if it runs better. The last time she didn't warn me and I put a hole through the wall with a drill! That isn't supposed to happen!"

All of the rangers were silent, listening to the one sided conversation.

"Stop laughing!" Ken demanded. "It was in your wall—yeah, yeah, yeah. I know you think it's funny that they had to cut my hand out of the wall—wait, what? No I do not know where to buy rocket fu—why don't you ask Hayley? How am I supposed to know where she normally buys it?—Tom—Tommy! Did you just take your pain meds?"

He paused, sighing and shaking his head.

"Well, that explains a lot," he muttered. "No, I still don't know where to get it—hey, is that Hayley?—No! I'm not—fine. She can use her own—Tommy, I'm not going to let them destroy your house—no—alright, look. I'll make you a deal. If you absolutely hate it, I'll let you—just let me finish—yes. I'll let you completely remodel my house."

Kim squeaked in surprise, nearly dropping the plate she was holding out to Ken. He waved at her to be quiet.

"Yes, I will," Ken said as the other rangers snickered. "Yes—no, Kim does not get to make final decisions on any of the décor—no, I won't let her—alright. Deal. And I will run all decisions past you first—oh. Ok. I'll run everything by Hayley—uh-huh. Fine. Now, you sound terrible—well, you do. You can barely string a complete sentence together—no, I'm not making things up—Go to sleep."

Ken shook his head, taking the plate from Kim with his free hand. Most of the other rangers were eating pizza, still laughing quietly as they listened in on the conversation. The only one who hadn't moved was Rocky, who was still passed out on the bed. Zach was trying to wave someone down to give him pizza.

"No, I'm not taking pictures of what they did to the house—" Ken sighed. "Because I don't want to upset you again—wait, what did she just say?—she what—oh, great—just go to sleep. Oh, and tell her to make me a copy—yeah, alright. Goodnight."

Hanging up the phone, Ken found a seat on the floor next to Kim's chair. He took a bite of his pizza, muttering about Tommy.

"So what is he copying for you?" Kim asked, running her hand through his hair as he leaned back against her chair.

"I guess Hayley has a copy of all of you destroying the house," he answered. "She pulled it from the computer and put it all together in a video. Tommy said she was going to play it for him…"

"Won't that just stress him out more?" Kat exclaimed.

"Nah," Ken said, shaking his head. "He's too drugged out right now to care. Besides, I'm pretty sure it's far more entertaining to watch than hear about."

The rangers all glared at him, grumbling.

"Pizza?" Zach said, trying to get someone's attention. "Anyone?"

"Wait a minute," Adam said, frowning. "How'd she get everything on tape? No one had a camera around."

"Hayley has the entire house wired with cameras," Billy said. "Except the restrooms. It's for security purposes."

"She what?" Tanya exclaimed. "Why would Tommy need that much security? He lives out in the middle of nowhere."

Billy shrugged.

"It is no longer a necessity," he said. "Though I believe he wants to retain the system as a precaution against future incidences."

"Hello," Zach interrupted. "Pizza anyone? And Rocky! Keep your feet to yourself!"

It was silent again for a moment.

"Mmm…" Ken said. "This is good pizza."

"And I would like to have some!" Zach exclaimed, finally getting their attention. "Would someone please bring me some?"

"You could have just gotten yourself a plate, dude," Jason grinned.

Zach glared at him again.

"Still oh so funny," he growled. "Now, would someone please hand me a—Rocky!"

"Oh, relax," Trini said, hopping up to get a plate for him. "I'll get you something."

"I'm sorry," Zach grumbled. "But I have had a really bad day—and it's all his fault!"

He pointed at Rocky, shoving his feet away again.

"That's it!" he announced. "Someone remove him. Now!"

"Zach," Kim said. "Why doesn't one of us help you up? You can take your pizza and go relax in your own room."

Zach groaned.

"This is my room!" he wailed. "I paid for it. This is my room—my bed—my stuff. And I want my pizza! And him off of my bed!"

"Oh," Kim said, ducking her head. "I forgot this was your room…"

Aisha, still lying on the couch, finally sat up.

"Quit whining, Zach," she said shortly. "I'll move him."

Standing up, Aisha strode over to the bed and placed a hand on his arm. Rocky jerked awake with a yell and tumbled off of the bed.

"Oh, that's great," Aisha sighed. "He's going to make his concussion worse… Rocky, please get up."

"Huh?" he said, staring up at her from the floor.

"Honey, you need to move to the couch," Aisha said, rolling her eyes as she tugged on his hand. "Stand up."

"Mmm… k," he muttered, not moving from where he was now sitting on the floor.

"I got it, Aisha," Jason said, standing up.

Setting down his pizza, Jason walked over and hauled Rocky to his feet. He guided him to the couch Aisha had been lying on and pushed him down onto it. Rocky sat there for a moment and then slowly slid into a laying position. Aisha smiled gratefully at Jason and moved back to the couch, curling up next to Rocky.

"Ok, half of my request has been fulfilled," Zach said, looking at Trini expectantly. "Trini, can I please have my pizza?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Here."

She handed him the plate. Sighing in relief, Zach took a bite, starting to relax.

"Hey guys," Jason said. "Pause for a moment. I need to talk to you."

He had just walked into the house where the rangers were working in the hallway again. Since Ken was out of the house for the moment, all they were doing was finishing up the mudding and painting in the hallway. Zach, who was supposed to be relaxing so he didn't tear out stitches, was sitting in a chair watching the others and looking extremely bored. When Jason came in, they all stopped to look at him expectantly.

"Alright," he said. "I just got a call from Hayley at the hospital."

"Is Tommy alright?" Kat asked quickly. "Did something else happen?"

"No, nothing else happened," Jason said, shaking his head. "He's just having a bad day. The meds are making him feel sick, and it's worse than normal today. But Hayley has to go to the café and can't stay there. So one of us needs to go. I would have, but with Ken gone—"

"I'll go," Adam said, straightening up. "I haven't really gotten a chance to spend much time with Tommy anyways."

"Great," Jason said, nodding. "Then wash up and head over. I'll let Hayley know you're on the way."

When Adam got to the hospital, Hayley had already left. Tommy was alone in the hospital room, staring up at the ceiling, his eyes closed. Adam shut the door carefully behind him, just in case Tommy was sleeping. But Tommy's eyes opened and he turned to see who had come in.

"Hey," Adam said, walking over to take a seat next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Miserable," Tommy muttered.

"How can I help?" Adam asked.

"Just distract me," Tommy answered. "Talk—about anything."

Adam nodded, pausing for a moment to think about where to start.

"How was the tour?" Tommy asked when Adam didn't start talking right away.

"It was great," Adam said. "We got to see so many different cities. Most of the performances sold out. It was hectic though."

"Mmmm," Tommy hummed, closing his eyes again

Adam nodded.

"Yeah. But it was worth it," he said. "And it's so much easier not having an outsider as manager. I love working with everyone. It's also nice that I'm not just a tag-along. Tanya's been wonderful, too. I know I'm a bit biased, but she's an amazing performer. And she handled the crowds and screaming fans like a pro from the beginning. She doesn't let anything phase her—from equipment malfunctions to bus breakdowns."

Tommy smiled slightly.

"Had a few of those, I take it?" he commented, shifting to try and get comfortable.

"Our fair share, I'm sure," Adam laughed, nodding. "But we always made it work and we saw so much of the world in the process. With Zach tagging along the whole way."

"How was that?" Tommy asked.

"He certainly makes life entertaining," Adam said, shaking his head. "But he's completely dedicated to his dancers. Sometimes I think he spends more time rehearsing than Tanya does. He jumped into the show a few times when dancers were out for injuries. Actually, the only time he wasn't there for a show was when he took off at a phone call from Billy—though we didn't know who had called him at the time. All he said was that there was an emergency and he'd be back as soon as possible. He looked like he wasn't feeling too hot so we didn't argue."

Tommy sighed, grimacing as he shifted.

"Yeah," he said. "That was not a fun couple of weeks…But it turned out alright. I'm actually glad it happened, now. Despite what it's now done to my house…"

"Sorry about that…" Adam muttered, rubbing a hand over his head. "We'll get it back in order…"

"You'd better," Tommy grumbled.

"Wait a minute," Adam said, frowning. "Did you say weeks? Zach was barely gone a week. He was only at your house for a few days."

"Yeah, technically it was just a weekend," Tommy muttered. "But I really don't have the energy to get into that right now…"

Adam nodded.

"Fair enough," he said. "I'll have to get it from you later."

Tommy nodded.

"So how long have you and Tanya been married now?" he asked.

"Seven years," Adam answered. "We got married while we were still in college. Not too long after the memorial, actually."

Both men were silent for a moment.

"So are you two planning on having kids?" Tommy asked after a moment.

"Eventually," Adam said. "I do want to have kids. But I don't think Tanya's ready yet. And with her career in the place it's in right now—well, it just doesn't make sense to yet. Hopefully in the next few years, though."

"Girl or boy?" Tommy said.

"Haven't really thought about it," Adam said slowly. "I've seen Rocky and Aisha with Sophia, and now Jason and Trini with Mark—I guess I'd be happy either way."

"Mmm hmm…" Tommy nodded.

"Yeah," Adam said. "It's been great watching Rocky with Sophia. She really is daddy's little princess. And he was so adamant about having a boy, too. Thought a girl would be too—well, girly."

Tommy chuckled and then winced.

"I guess he was wrong about that," he said, taking as deep a breath as he could.

"You have no idea," Adam said, shaking his head. "He was in denial until the day she was born. Then he didn't want to put her down. Having Sophia has kept Aisha home, too. She hasn't made a trip to Africa in two years. Started letting other people make the actually trips. She just coordinates things from her computer now. Rocky said he's happy to have her home all the time. Says it beats an empty house."

"It's always better having someone around," Tommy agreed. "No matter how loud they are."

Adam chuckled, shaking his head.

"None of us really live quiet lives, do we?" he commented.

"Uh uh," Tommy sighed.

"Yeah, the one with the quietest life is Kat," Adam mused. "Out of all of us I would have thought she'd be the one to go out and be a star ballerina. And she's out there, in a way. But she's not the one on stage. I guess I never really expected her to step back like that. She's a great costume designer, though. Made quite a few things for Tanya and her dancers…"

"Mmm hmm…" Tommy mumbled.

Adam frowned, quiet for a moment.

"You know, things were a lot different after you and Kat weren't together anymore," he said. "She was different. We didn't see her around for a while and then, well, she'd changed directions. She wasn't going to be a star anymore."

Tommy didn't say anything, so Adam kept talking.

"She didn't really say much about the break-up," Adam continued. "Just that you and her weren't in the same place. That neither of you was really ready."

Tommy sighed.

"Mmm…" he said quietly.

"Tommy," Adam said slowly. "What did happen? I really thought the two of you were going to end up together. What changed?"

"I don't know," Tommy sighed. "I thought we were fine…But when I proposed…"

"_Dinner was nice," Kat smiled, her arm tucked in Tommy's. "Thank you."_

_It was later in the evening and they were walking through the park on their way back to campus. They'd both dressed up nice for the evening, though Kat had removed her heels. She was carrying them in her free hand, wandering barefoot through the park with Tommy. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head, just a few strands framing her face, and she was wearing her favorite pink dress. Tommy was in dress pants and white shirt, though he'd opted out of a tie. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail to keep it out of his face. _

"_You're welcome," he said. "I wish I could give you more…"_

_Kat laughed, swatting at his arm._

"_Don't be silly," she said. "I don't need expensive restaurants to make me happy."_

_Tommy smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer as they walked. No one else was in the park that they could see. It was a beautiful, clear night, the moon rising high in the sky. _

"_As long as you're happy," he said._

"_Always," she said, leaning against his shoulder. "Are you going home this summer or are you going to stay here?"_

"_I don't know yet," he said. "I guess it depends."_

"_Depends on what?" Kat asked. "You said you weren't going to look for an internship this year."_

"_I'm not," Tommy said._

_She rolled her eyes, bumping her shoulder against his._

"_Then what are you talking about?" she asked. "You're being awfully cryptic."_

_Tommy paused, looking down at Kat. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. Taking a deep breath, Tommy took a step back and ran a hand over his head. _

"_Tommy?" Kat said, frowning in confusion._

"_Kat," he said. "You know how I said I wished I could give you more?"_

"_Yes," she said slowly, not sure where he was going with the question._

"_Well, there is something else I want to give you," he said. _

"_Ok…" she said, still trying to figure out what he was talking about._

_Taking a deep breath, Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Kat's eyes widened in surprise as he knelt down on one knee. _

"_Kat," Tommy said, looking up at her. "Will you marry me?"_

_He held out the small box, now open to reveal a ring inside. Kat stared at him in shock for a moment, unable to get anything out. Finally she started shaking her head, taking a step backward._

"_Tommy," she finally stammered. "I—I mean—you can't—I don't think—umm…"_

_Tommy looked at her in surprise, quickly getting back to his feet._

"_Kat," he said. "What's wrong? I thought that…Well, I thought we were ready for this."_

"_It's not that," she said quickly. "It's just—well, I don't think you and me—this just isn't—oh…"_

_She buried her face in her hands for a moment, still shaking her head as Tommy stood there. _

"_I can't," she finally burst out, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "It just—it wouldn't work. I'm—I'm sorry."_

_Whirling around, Kat bolted toward her apartment, leaving Tommy standing alone in the park. _

"You proposed?" Adam exclaimed, surprised by the news.

"Yeah," Tommy muttered. "She said no, obviously. I was upset for a while… but it's alright now."

Adam shook himself, trying to push past the shock of the proposal.

"Man," he said. "Kat never said anything like that…though I always did guess there was more to the break-up than she was saying…That's explains a lot about Hayley's behavior around Kat, though. Kat and Hayley were pretty close then, weren't they? I think I remember Kat mentioning her once or twice. Roommates, right?"

Tommy nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "For the first year. They were pretty close…haven't spoken in years though…tried to convince Hayley not to take sides, but…"

"But she did," Adam said.

"Yeah," Tommy sighed. "She heard about everything and…they stopped talking…Hayley never said why…always changed the subject…"

Adam sighed, shaking his head as Tommy trailed off.

"Who knows?" he said.

It was quiet for a few minutes.

"That's alright…" Tommy finally said. "I've got Hayley…"

"Yeah," Adam said. "I've noticed you two are pretty close."

Tommy chuckled, stifling a yawn.

"I'd hope so," he mumbled. "Considering we just got married…but we didn't get a honeymoon…s'ppose I should fix that…"

"You what?" Adam exclaimed.

"Didn't go on a honeymoon," Tommy answered. "I need to fix that…"

"No, no, no," Adam said, shaking his head. "Back it up. What was that about you getting married?"

"Oh," said Tommy, opening his eyes to glance at Adam. "Hayley and I got married. A month ago—just before power ranger week…"

"Oh," Adam said. "I guess I missed that…though I guess I can see your ring now that the cast is off."

"Jason was s'pposed to tell everyone," Tommy mumbled. "When he got the chance…"

He sighed, trailing off again.

"Huh," Adam muttered, shaking his head. "Well that really does explain a lot. Like why Ken is running all decisions by her. Guess Jason didn't get the chance to tell all of us yet."

Tommy just grunted in response, his eyes closed again.

"So I was thinking," Adam said, changing the subject. "I've got some friends who'd be a great help once you're ready to start physical therapy. Especially since you're still so into karate. I can give them a call for you if you'd like. What do you think, Tommy?"

There was no answer.

"Tommy?" Adam said, frowning as he leaned forward. "Tom—oh."

He cut off abruptly. Tommy was finally asleep. Shifting quietly in his chair, Adam settled back to relax while Tommy slept.


	16. Hospital visits

A few hours later, there was a soft knock on the door. Adam stood up as it slowly opened to reveal the other rangers. Tommy was still fast asleep in the bed. They started moving in, but Adam quickly motioned for them to be quiet and started shooing them back out into the hallway. He followed them out and shut the door behind them.

"He's asleep," he said as an explanation, still trying to be quiet. "Fell asleep a few hours ago. I don't know if he'll go back to sleep if we wake him up."

"How is he doing?" Tanya asked. "He looks awful, even fast asleep."

"Not so hot," Adam said, running a hand over his head. "We talked for a while until he finally fell asleep though. I was trying to distract him. Guess it worked well enough."

"We came to see how things were going since we were finished at the house for the night," Jason said. "And to get you for dinner."

Adam nodded, glancing back at the door.

"We should probably leave him be for the night," Adam said. "He didn't eat anything, but he fell asleep on his own. The nurse was happy about that when she came to check on him."

"Alright," Jason said, nodding. "Then let's head out. Kim, are you coming or staying?"

"I'll stay here," she said as some of the others looked around in surprise. "Just in case he wakes up. Ken said he'd bring something by for me to eat later."

"Why are you staying here?" Aisha asked.

"I'm taking the overnight shift tonight," Kim said. "Hayley's got some late night thing going on at the café tonight so I volunteered."

"Oh," Aisha said slowly. "Alright…"

"Call if you need anything," Jason said as Kim slipped quietly into Tommy's room.

She smiled, nodding as she shut the door behind her. Turning, Jason led the rest of the group back out of the hospital.

Tommy sighed, shifting as he blinked his eyes open. Yawning, he stretched carefully as he looked around. His eyes stopped on Kim, who was curled up in a chair next to his bed. There was a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and she was hugging a pillow, her chin resting on it as she watched him.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she smiled.

"Did you sleep there?" he asked, frowning.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I stayed overnight since Hayley needed to get some sleep. Really not the most comfortable place to sleep."

Tommy shook his head as he adjusted himself.

"Kim," he said, pausing. "Did you take—you took one of my pillows!"

"Oh, right," she said, hugging the pillow tighter. "Well, you didn't notice. You were out cold for once."

"You do realize they would have brought you pillows and blankets if you had asked, right?" he said. "And that you could have slept in the other bed?"

He pointed at the second bed in the room.

"That's where Hayley sleeps," he continued.

"Oh," Kim said in surprise. "Umm… No. But I wish someone had told me that last night…"

Tommy rolled his eyes and reached up to brush his hair back. Glaring at him, Kim untangled herself from the blanket and returned his pillow to him, carefully putting it back under his head. She sat back down, setting the blanket off to the side.

"So how long are you here for?" Tommy asked, running a hand through his hair to push it back off of his forehead for a second time.

Kim frowned.

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Tommy?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"No!" Tommy protested. "I just figured you would want to get some actual sleep…"

"Uh-huh," she said. "For your information, I'm here for at least another hour. Tanya is coming a little later."

Tommy nodded, frowning as he ran a hand through his hair again.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Kim asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because it's bugging me," Tommy answered, repeating the motion. "It's just a little too long since I haven't been able to get a haircut and Hayley didn't pack my hair gel in my emergency kit."

Kim snorted.

"Most people would consider hair gel an essential," Kim said drily.

"Well, she could have at least packed a bandana like I asked," Tommy muttered. "But no. I get nothing."

"Quit whining," Kim said. "It's not like your hair is as long as it was in high school."

"So?" Tommy said. "All I had to do to keep it out of my face then was put it in a ponytail. I don't exactly have that option right now."

He ran a hand through his hair again. Huffing, Kim leaned over and started digging through her overnight bag.

"That's it," she announced, searching through the bag.

"What are you looking for?" Tommy asked, looking at her suspiciously.

"My clippers," she answered without looking up.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Tommy exclaimed. "Are we talking hedge clippers? Like you're going outside to try your hand at some yard work?"

"No," Kim answered. "Hair clippers—oh, here they are. I brought them in case Ken needed a haircut while we were here."

Tommy was shaking his head now.

"Don't even think about it," he said. "You'd be better off with the yard work because you aren't touching my hair."

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Kim said, ignoring his protests as she checked the clippers. "You're the one who wants your hair out of your face."

"Yes," Tommy said, glaring at her. "And a bandana would work just fine."

Kim rolled her eyes.

"I don't have a bandana," she said. "I have clippers. Besides, why use a temporary solution when we can solve the problem long term?"

Standing up, she moved closer to the bed.

"Kim, no," Tommy said, trying to move away. "Ahh… ouch…"

He grimaced, having moved too quickly.

"Would you knock it off?" Kim exclaimed. "You can't go anywhere, so you might as well stay still before you hurt yourself."

"Then keep those things away from me!" he said.

"Stop fussing," Kim said. "I'm just going to cut enough to keep it out of your face. It'll grow back."

She turned them on, sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning over.

"Kim!" Tommy exclaimed.

Tanya waved at Rocky as he pulled away. He'd dropped her off at the hospital for her turn sitting with Tommy. Turning around, she headed inside, hurrying up toward Tommy's room. As she reached for the handle to walk in, Tanya froze, listening to what was happening inside.

"Kim!" Tommy exclaimed. "Would you get off of me?"

"Oh, you're fine," she said. "And this is the only way to make this work right now. So hold still."

Tanya gasped in surprise, leaning closer to the door.

"Kim," Tommy groaned. "Ouch. This is not ok. What if someone were to walk in right now? How would you explain this?"

"Oh, relax," Kim retorted. "Tanya's not due for another half hour anyways and the nurse came right before you woke up. No one is going to walk in on us. Now hold still."

"Ouch!" Tommy exclaimed. "Would you be careful?"

"I told you to hold still," she said.

"Kim, this isn't working," Tommy grumbled. "You're squishing me."

"Well, unless you can manage to move yourself into another position, this is going to have to work," Kim said. "So quit whining."

Eyes wide, Tanya shook her head as she backed away from the door. Whirling around, she bolted down the hallway, pulling her phone out as she went.

Back in Tommy's room, Kim was half draped across him as she tried to get the side of his head. Tommy jerked again and her hand slipped. The clippers caught his ear and Tommy yelped in pain.

"Kim!" he cried. "Watch it!"

"I told you not to move," Kim said. "Uh oh…"

"What?" Tommy exclaimed.

"You're bleeding…" Kim answered, looking around for something to stop the blood. "But the good news is I'm done."

Tommy just glared at her as the door opened. Both of them turned around to look in surprise. Rocky was standing in the doorway, staring at them in surprise.

"Umm… Hey guys," he said. "What's going on?"

"Kim's being a pain," Tommy muttered.

"Haircut," Kim said at the same time. "Hey!"

"Uh-huh…" Rocky said. "Have you seen Tanya? She left her purse in the car…"

Kim frowned, shaking her head as she stood up, setting the clippers off to the side and grabbing a wad of Kleenex.

"No," she said. "She hasn't come up yet, I guess. Did you try the cafeteria?"

"Not yet," Rocky said.

The door opened again behind him and the nurse walked in.

"Oh, good," she said, smiling. "You're awake—what happened?"

She had seen the Kleenex Tommy was now holding against his ear. Kim ducked her head, mumbling an apology.

"I was cutting his hair," she said. "I slipped with the clippers…"

The nurse sighed.

"Alright," she sighed. "I'll get a bandage."

Kim nodded, looking at Rocky.

"I'll come help you find Tanya," she said. "Bye, Tommy. I'll see you later."

Tommy just glared at her, now holding his phone as the nurse checked his ear.

"I'm texting Hayley," he muttered.

After rushing away from Tommy's room, Tanya found an out-of-the-way corner in the cafeteria and dialed her phone. She waited impatiently for someone to answer.

"Aisha!" she exclaimed the moment she picked up. "You are not going to believe what I just heard in the hospital."

"_What is it?" _Aisha asked. _"Is everything alright?"_

"I don't know," Tanya answered, shaking her head as she started pacing. "But I was about to go into Tommy's room when I heard him and Kim talking…They were alone and—well, I think you're right about them…"

"_What?" _Aisha exclaimed. _"That girl has no shame…She should know better than to take advantage of him when he's been drugged."_

"I know," Tanya said. "And what's worse is he was telling her to stop and she wouldn't listen. I almost walked in on them but—I just couldn't…"

"_That's alright, Tanya," _Aisha said. _"We'll have a talk with Kim at the first opportunity. We can't let this go on any longer. It just isn't right."_

"I completely agree," Tanya said, nodding as she looked around. "But what about Tommy? How are we going to keep her away from him?"

"_Well, you'd better get up there for now," _Aisha answered. _"I'll talk to Kat and we'll try and come up with something. Someone has to do something about it."_

"Exactly—oh," Tanya said, catching sight of Kim entering the cafeteria. "I've got to go. Kim just found me. I'll talk to you later."

Hanging up the phone, she glared at Kim as the pink ranger hurried over.

"There you are," Kim smiled. "Rocky was looking for you. He has your purse. I'm going to head back to the hotel if you're ready to sit with Tommy."

"Of course I am," Tanya said shortly, crossing her arms. "You don't need to be with him all the time, after all."

Kim frowned, looking a little confused by Tanya's tone.

"I know," she said slowly. "I've only sat with him one night…"

"And that was plenty," Tanya snapped. "So go on. I'll be with him the rest of the morning."

Without waiting for an answer, Tanya strode off, leaving Kim standing in shock in the cafeteria.

Later that evening, the rangers, Hayley, and Ken all gathered for dinner. It was an unusually quiet meal as most of the group held smaller conversations rather than everyone talking over everyone else.

"Why are they glaring at me?" Kim said to Trini, glancing over at Tanya, Kat, and Aisha. "They've been giving me dirty looks all day and I have no idea why."

"I don't know either," Trini said, shaking her head.

Tanya, Aisha, and Kat were sitting at the opposite end of the table, whispering amongst themselves and shooting glares at Kim every so often.

"I don't understand," Kim sighed, staring at her plate. "What did I do?"

"Well, you did hurt Tommy earlier," Trini said. "Maybe they're mad about that?"

Kim frowned.

"But I apologized I don't even know how many times," she protested. "And why would they be mad? It was Tommy I hurt—he wouldn't even say goodbye when I left…but I didn't think he was so mad at me as to get someone else involved…"

"Well, they have been a bit overprotective since they got here," Trini said, glancing at the other girls. "Maybe that's the problem."

"Maybe," Kim sighed.

"Just talk to Tommy," Trini said. "See if he'll talk to them about backing off."

Kim nodded, sighing again as she poked at her food. Seeing her moving her food around the plate rather than eating it, Ken frowned.

"Are you alright?" he asked, reaching over and squeezing her hand under the table.

Kim nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "Aisha, could you please pass the salt down here."

"Fine," Aisha snapped. "If you must have it."

The rangers looked at Aisha in surprise, but she ignored the looks, glaring at Kim as she handed the salt down the table. Kim looked at Trini again, who just shrugged. Hayley, sitting a few seats down, leaned over to talk to Billy.

"Are they always like this?" she asked quietly. "I don't think I've ever seen them this snippy with each other."

"No," Billy answered. "This is quite unusual. Perhaps they are experiencing the emotional turbulence that accompanies certain natural cycles?"

"I doubt they'd all be at one time," Hayley said drily, shaking her head. "They don't spend that much time with each other anymore."

Billy shrugged as Rocky looked around at Hayley.

"What are you talking about?" he said, slightly confused.

"Don't worry about it," Hayley said, shaking her head. "It really doesn't matter…"

"Uh huh…" Rocky said.

"Don't worry, man," Adam said. "If you really want to know, I'll explain later."

Rocky nodded. Jason, coming back in the room from a phone call.

"Alright," he announced, getting everyone's attention. "Time to head to bed for the night. Everyone's getting cranky from a long day of work."

Protests were immediately issued, but he hushed them.

"And I'm already handling who's sitting with Tommy for the night," he said. "So get moving. If I didn't ask you to go, then assume it's not you."

Grumbling, the rangers started grabbing their things and heading out. They'd already paid their bills. Jason pulled Zach off to the side as they all headed out the door.

"You're sitting with Tommy tonight," Jason said.

"What?" Zach exclaimed. "No."

"Zach, it's got to be you," Jason sighed.

"Why?" he muttered. "I don't want to spend the night in the hospital."

"Because," Jason said, running a hand through his hair. "The phone call I got was from Trini's parents. Mark is sick. Trini and I are making a run home tonight to check on him so it can't be us. The rest of the girls are all being snippy with each other and, frankly, I don't think they'd help Tommy relax at all. Rocky would just irritate him once he got bored, which would be after about five minutes. And Adam was there almost all day yesterday."

"But what about Hayley," Zach protested, looking around for someone else to take the shift.

"She needs to get some sleep," Jason said, shaking his head. "Real sleep. She's been up late and up early almost all week working on different things. The same with Ken. So that leaves you."

"Man," Zach muttered. "Can't—"

"Stop arguing, Zach," Jason said. "Just get in the car. You'll survive one night."

"Fine," Zach muttered.

Jason dropped him off at the hospital a short time later, promising that someone would be by to get him in the morning. Heading up to Tommy's room, Zach found the lights already off. Tommy turned his head when Zach walked in. Zach could only just see the bandage covering one of his ears. They'd had to cover the whole ear with the bandage after Kim nicked it with the clippers.

"Good, it's you," Tommy muttered. "Here's the remote…there's a chair…goodnight."

Zach took the remote Tommy offered and walked over to the chair. Tommy had already closed his eyes again, pulling the blanket up and turning away. Shrugging, Zach put the donut pillow down on the chair and made himself comfortable.


	17. Blackmail

"_I miss you so much, Puddin' Pop."_

Sighing, Tommy shifted and frowned. He didn't recognize the woman speaking. His eyes flying open, he looked around in confusion. But he was still in the hospital, the curtain drawn around his bed.

"I miss you, too, Pookie," Zach said from the other side of the curtain. "And I promise I'll come see you as soon as I get back to L.A."

Realizing Zach was talking to someone on the phone, Tommy relaxed. Starting to push himself up to get Zach's attention, he froze as he realized what they were saying.

"_I love you bunches, Cream Puff," _the woman said.

Tommy silently clapped a hand over his mouth, stifling a snicker. Glancing around, he silently argued with himself about what to do. If he pressed the call button for the nurse it would probably alert Zach and he'd stop the conversation—but it was just too good an opportunity to pass up. Settling back against his pillows, Tommy turned his good ear toward Zach.

"And I love you, my little Doodle Bug," Zach responded in a lovey-dovey voice.

"_I love you more," _she responded. _"My Honey Pants is the sweetest man in the whole wide world."_

"I love you most, Schmoopsie Poo," Zach cooed. "No one compares to you."

Rolling his eyes, Tommy continued to listen as the conversation continued. He was thoroughly enjoying himself. The door opening interrupted the phone conversation, however.

"Whoops," Zach said, apparently turning the phone off of speaker. "Just a second. The nurse is here to check on Tommy."

When the nurse walked around the curtain, she saw Tommy lying awake in bed. She started to say something, but Tommy quickly motioned for her to be quiet and silently begged her to pretend he was asleep, indicating Zach. Smiling, she nodded in agreement and quickly and quietly checked on everything as though he was still asleep.

"Thank you," Tommy mouthed silently as she finished up.

She just smiled again, turning to leave the room. He was really glad she'd gone along with it. Since she was the head nurse, he wasn't sure she'd approve, but apparently she was just happy to see him in a good mood for the first time in a day or two. The moment the door closed, Zach was back on the phone. After a while, the conversation finally seemed to be winding down.

"_Do you really have to go, Fruit Loop?" _the woman pouted.

"Yeah, I do," Zach sighed. "Sorry, Num Nums. But I'll call you back later, alright?"

"_I guess," _she sighed. _"I love you bunches."_

"I love you more," Zach responded, making a kissing sound.

"_I love you mostest," _she said, doing the same thing. _"You hang up first."_

"No, you hang up first," Zach said.

"_You hang up," _she giggled.

"No, you, Pookie" said Zach.

"_You hang up first, Tater Tot" _she said again.

Rolling his eyes, Tommy decided enough was enough.

"How about both of you hang up before I get a cavity over here?" Tommy interrupted.

On the other side of the curtain, Zach froze.

"Sorry, Janet," he said quickly. "Gotta go."

Footsteps followed and then Zach appeared around the curtain. Tommy grinned, leaning back against his pillows.

"How long have you been awake?" Zach demanded, glaring at Tommy.

"Hmmm…" Tommy said, glancing over at the clock on the bedside table. "At least thirty minutes. I was up well before the nurse came in."

Zach groaned, rubbing a hand across his face.

"How much did you hear?" he asked.

"About what, Puddin'?" Tommy grinned.

"Great," Zach muttered. "Tommy, you can't say anything."

"Aw, why not, Cream Puff?" he snickered.

"Tommy!" Zach exclaimed. "You can't—alright. What'll it take to shut you up? I'll do anything."

He sighed as Tommy studied him.

"Let's see," Tommy smirked, taking his time deciding. "What do I want?"

Zach grimaced, waiting for the answer.

"Here's the deal," Tommy finally said. "First, you get everyone else to back off. They don't have to leave, I just want to have some time alone with no one hovering. Like no one staying with me at night—unless it's my wife."

Zach nodded, frowning as he tried to decide how he was going to work that one out.

"Secondly," Tommy continued. "Once my house is done, you get everyone to leave. They all need to be gone by the end of the third day or the deal is off."

Zach groaned.

"Fine," he said. "But I get some time to get them to back off. I'm not a miracle worker."

"Fair enough," Tommy said, nodding. "Three days is all you get. And good luck. You're gonna need it."

Grumbling under his breath, Zach started pacing around the room.

"So," Tommy said, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Who's got the next shift?"

Zach glowered at him as Tommy laughed.

"Did you want anything to drink?" Aisha asked, reaching over to adjust Tommy's pillow. "I can go get you something to eat if you're hungry."

Tommy closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he answered. It was a couple of days later and Aisha's turn to sit with Tommy.

"I'm fine," he said shortly. "I already told you I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure?" Aisha asked, concern in her voice. "You really should eat something. It's lunchtime, after all."

"I just want to sleep," Tommy groaned quietly.

"Oh, alright," Aisha sighed. "Go to sleep then…"

Tommy didn't answer.

"Do you need anything to help you sleep?" Aisha asked. "I can call the nurse."

Grimacing, Tommy opened his eyes.

"Sure," he said shortly. "Please. Call the nurse."

Aisha started to stand up but was interrupted.

"Hey, how's it going?" Jason asked from the doorway.

Tommy just glared at him.

"Everything is fine," Aisha said. "I was just going to get the nurse."

"I'll get her," Jason said. "Why don't you head back to the house? Lunch should be ready by the time you get there. I ate on the way here."

"Oh," Aisha said, glancing over at Tommy. "But what about—"

"I'll sit with Tommy for a while," Jason interrupted. "You need to eat something."

"Alright," Aisha sighed. "Get some sleep, Tommy. I'll see you later."

Tommy didn't answer as she slipped out of the room. Jason didn't go get a nurse, though. Instead he walked over and took a seat in the chair next to the bed.

"You alright man?" he asked.

Tommy just took a deep breath, rubbing a hand across his forehead.

"You got a headache?" Jason asked. "Do I need to get a nurse?"

"Just get out," Tommy answered.

"Tommy," Jason frowned in surprise.

"No, Jason," Tommy snapped. "Out. Now."

Jason stood up.

"Are you sure—" he started to ask.

"Yes," Tommy interrupted. "Jase, just go."

Jason nodded, moving toward the door.

"Alright, I'm going," he said. "I'll grab a nurse and send her by to check on you, alright?"

"Fine, whatever," Tommy sighed. "Just please, go."

Leaving Tommy alone, Jason pulled out his cell phone as he headed down the hallway. He didn't have to wait long for someone to answer.

"_Hello?" _Hayley said. _"Is everything alright, Jason?" _

"I'm not sure," Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair as he paced through the hallways. "Tommy's not doing so hot right now…"

"_What's wrong?" _Hayley asked quickly.

"He says he has a headache and it sounded like he hadn't eaten lunch when I came to take over for Aisha," Jason answered. "And then he ordered me out of the room…"

Hayley sighed.

"_Jason, you need to get your group under control," _she snapped. _"This isn't helping Tommy."_

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jason asked, frowning.

"_All the hovering," _she said shortly. _"It's not that it's bad having all of you here—but the hovering is starting to stress him out. He's not relaxing on his own and since he keeps getting agitated they have to continue to drug him to sleep—that's not good for him. The doctor says unless he's able to start getting some natural rest, he's going to keep going downhill. Look, I know all of you are worried. I am too. But as much as we tease him, he's not really going to try and escape or do something stupid. He really does know better."_

"Hayley, I know," Jason sighed. "And so does everyone else. It's not so much we're worried about him doing something—we're just afraid something is going to happen to him."

She was silent for a moment.

"_Jason, he's going to be fine," _she finally said. _"He just needs time to recover. And that means he needs space. You guys are his best friends, but he needs time alone, too. I think you can agree he deserves that."_

"Yeah," Jason muttered. "You're right… I'll see what I can do. I should at least be able to keep everyone away for the rest of the night. Zach's been bugging me to stop sending people at night anyways. Says Tommy does nothing but snore…"

"_Good," _Hayley said. _"I'll go check on him later tonight after I close up the café. After lunch I'll send the kids by to see if he's up for eating anything. They're usually pretty good about distracting him without hovering."_

"Aren't they a little loud to have around him if he needs rest?" Jason asked doubtfully.

"_They'll be fine," _Hayley said. _"I've got to go. Think about what I said."_

Jason stared at the phone for a moment after she hung up. Then, shaking his head, he went to get his car and head back to Tommy's house. The other rangers, eating lunch out on the porch, looked at him in surprise when he pulled up.

"I thought you were sitting with Tommy," Aisha said, frowning.

Trini was the only one not there. She'd stayed at home with Mark when they'd gone home a few days before.

"He's not feeling so great right now," Jason said, shaking his head as he joined them. "He was going to sleep so I gave him some space."

"Oh," Aisha said, glancing over at the other girls. "But—"

"Anyways," Jason said, not giving anyone a chance to protest. "There's plenty left to do for the afternoon anyways. An extra pair of hands won't hurt. Tommy will be fine for the rest of the night. We can go check on him again tomorrow. So let's finish up lunch and get back to work."

"Conner!" Kira snapped. "Stop giving yourself loans or you don't get to be banker anymore."

Kira, Trent, Conner, and Ethan were sitting in Tommy's hospital room. They'd set up a game of monopoly to entertain themselves with as they sat there, though they'd spend more time arguing than playing so far. There was also music playing in the background. Kira had brought a small CD player with a disc of music she'd recorded for Tommy to listen to. She'd set it up on the bedside table. He was lying in the bed, eyes closed and looking a lot more relaxed than when they had first gotten there.

"Loans are allowed," Conner said defensively.

"Actually," Trent argued. "They aren't. You have to mortgage your properties."

"But I don't have any properties to mortgage," Conner argued. "So I have to get money somewhere. You've got tons of it, too. I'll bet you've been sneaking some when I wasn't looking."

"Conner, my dad's a billionaire," Trent said drily. "I know how to play this game. I'm good at it, not a cheater."

"Dr. O," Conner exclaimed, turning to look at Tommy. "Am I allowed to get loans from the bank?"

"Only if you mortgage a property," Tommy mumbled, not opening his eyes.

Grumbling, Conner put the money back as Kira and Trent smirked. Ethan, who had his computer on his lap, glanced up.

"My turn?" he asked.

"Dude, we passed you already," Conner said, shaking his head. "We tried getting your attention but you were stuck in your computer so we passed you."

"That's not fair!" Ethan exclaimed. "You can't do that. They can't do that, can they Dr. O?"

"Pay attention…you won't get passed," Tommy answered, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Otherwise…oh well…"

Grumbling, Ethan set his computer aside and turned his focus on the game. It was relatively quiet for a few minutes as they took the next round of turns.

"Jail again!" Conner wailed, breaking the quiet again. "Please tell me someone has a 'Get out of Jail Free' card to give me."

The other three just shook their heads. Grumbling, Conner passed off the dice to Trent. The room door opened and a nurse popped her head in.

"I can hear you down the hallway again, Conner," she said drily, stepping inside. "There are patients in other rooms complaining."

"Sorry, Mrs. James," Conner muttered, ducking his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that mom," Ethan said. "We'll shut him up. But Dr. O doesn't mind. Right Dr. O?"

Tommy didn't answer, so they all turned to look. He was fast asleep.

"See, he's sleeping," Ethan grinned.

Mrs. James rolled her eyes.

"I can see that," she said. "But if one of you would come get me when he wakes up. Dr. Oliver needs to eat something."

"We will," Kira said.

"Yeah, we tried convincing him to eat earlier," Trent added. "He didn't want anything…"

"That's fine," Mrs. James said. "So long as he eats when he wakes up."

She turned to head back out the door, but paused.

"Now remember," she scolded gently. "Don't disturb the other patients."

"Got it, mom," Ethan said. "Don't worry. If Conner gets too loud we'll stick a sock in his mouth."

"Hey!" Conner exclaimed.

But Mrs. James just shook her head and closed the door behind her. The kids went back to the game, still arguing as they played.

"I still can't believe Jason left Tommy alone when he clearly wasn't feeling well," Tanya said, shaking her head.

Kat, Aisha, and Tanya were in the car on their way to the hospital. After lunch, they'd worked with the others for a few hours. But once they were wrapping up for the day, the three women had excused themselves and gotten straight in the car without telling anyone where they were going.

"What if he needs something?" Kat fretted. "He really should have someone there in case the nurse is busy…"

"Well, we're there," Aisha said, pulling into the hospital parking lot. "And we'll stay until we're sure he'll be fine for the night."

Tanya and Kat nodded in agreement. Once the car was parked, the three women wasted no time in getting to Tommy's room. As they walked down the hallway, however, they could hear voices coming from one of the rooms.

"Who is being so loud?" Kat commented. "This is a hospital."

All three froze outside of Tommy's room, realizing the voices were coming from inside.

"It's Tommy's students!" Tanya exclaimed, hearing Conner's name. "What are they doing here?"

"I don't know," Aisha said, shaking her head. "But I think we should probably get them out of here. Tommy needs to rest."

With Tanya and Kat in agreement, Aisha opened the door and strode inside.

"What is going on?" she demanded.

Conner yelped in surprise as all four of the kids jumped. He hit the game board, knocking it off of the table with a crash. At the same time, Ethan, who had been leaning back waiting for his turn, tipped his chair over and went sprawling across the ground. The loud noises woke Tommy out of a sound sleep. He half sat up with a jerk in surprise.

"Agh!" he exclaimed, grimacing as he fell back against the pillows.

"Tommy!" Kat exclaimed, rushing over to him.

She immediately started fussing, trying to rearrange pillows and get him comfortable again. But he just hissed in pain, trying to push her hands away. In the meantime, Aisha and Tanya turned on the four kids, who were picking themselves and the game up.

"What are you four thinking?" Tanya exclaimed, turning off the CD player. "Tommy needs to rest. All this noise is disturbing him!"

"But he was—" Ethan started protesting, climbing to his feet.

"No, it's time for you to leave," Aisha insisted, taking Kira by the arm and pushing her toward the door. "All of you are old enough to know better, so until you can control yourselves you can be excused."

"Excuse you!" Kira exclaimed, yanking her arm away. "We were just fine until—"

"We aren't going to argue with you," Tanya interrupted, starting to push the others toward the door, too. "We'll take care of Tommy. You four need to leave."

Kira, Ethan, Trent, and Conner found themselves out the door before they could do anything. Inside, they could hear some of the monitors starting to go off. But before they could push their way back inside, RA came running down the hall and went straight inside. A moment later, Aisha, Tanya, and Kat were all in the hallway, despite their protests.

"See what you've done?" Tanya exclaimed, glaring at the teens. "He's in pain now because you woke him up!"

"We weren't the ones who woke him up!" Kira snapped, crossing her arms. "Dr. O was just fine until the three of you burst in."

"There is no possible way he could have been resting with all the noise you four were making," Aisha snapped back. "We could hear you all the way down the hallway."

"So what?" Conner said hotly. "It's the nurse's job to tell us to be quiet, not yours. The only one we were disturbing is the cranky guy down the hall."

As the two groups glared at each other, Mrs. James came running down the hall. She didn't pause, but went straight into Tommy's room, shutting the door behind her.

"It's time for you four to leave," Aisha said, crossing her arms. "This is no place for goofing around. So go home and leave it to the adults to watch after Tommy."

"Yeah, cause you're doing such a great job," Ethan snapped.

"Aisha's right," Kat argued. "If you want to play games, go to that café Jason mentioned. I'm sure Haley used to noisy teenagers there."

"You have no right—" Trent started to protest.

But Kira put a hand on his arm, glaring at the three women.

"Leave it, Trent," she said shortly. "Let's go, guys."

Trent, Ethan, and Conner looked at her in surprise. They hadn't been expecting her to give up so quickly.

"Let's go," Kira insisted, grabbing Conner and turning away. "We'll talk outside."

Dragging them with her down the hall, Kira didn't stop moving until they were down in the lobby.

"Kira!" Conner exclaimed, pulling his arm away. "What are you doing?"

"Calling Hayley," Kira smirked, pulling out her cell phone. "She needs to know what happened."

Their eyes wide, the boys just watched as Kira stepped outside to make a phone call.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Trent muttered.

Ethan and Conner just nodded in agreement.

Hayley was there in less than fifteen minutes. Striding into the lobby, she didn't pause as she walked past the teens.

"Let's go," she snapped, stalking toward the elevator.

Upstairs, Hayley headed straight to Tommy's room. Aisha, Tanya, and Kat were still waiting outside. Pausing only to motion for the kids to wait, Hayley opened the door and walked inside. She closed the door behind her before anyone else could follow. A few minutes later, both Mrs. James and her assistant emerged.

"You can go back inside, now," Mrs. James said shortly. "Just keep the noise level down."

The two nurses turned down the hallway, talking quietly as they walked away. Aisha immediately reached for the handle and they all crowded back inside. Hayley was sitting by the bed, running a hand through Tommy's hair. The teens rushed to join her, pushing past the three women. But Hayley held up a hand to stop them.

"Out," she ordered quietly. "No one else is allowed in here tonight. It's already bad enough that they drugged him again and he's not going to eat anything—he doesn't need to be disturbed again."

"Hayley," Conner said. "We didn't mean—"

"Not right now, Conner," Hayley said shortly. "I don't know what happened, but—"

"It was the four of them," Kat said, pointing at the teens. "They were in here making all sorts of noise and they scared Tommy awake."

"Because you scared all of us banging the door open like that!" Kira exclaimed, rounding on Kat.

"Enough!" Hayley hissed. "Out! Now!"

When no one moved immediately, Hayley stalked over. Taking Kat and Aisha each by an arm, she started pulling them toward the door, herding Tanya with them. The teens, quickly catching on to her mood, started for the door on their own.

"Trent…" Tommy mumbled, fumbling as he reached for Trent's arm.

Trent paused next to the bed.

"What's up, Dr. O?" Trent asked quietly.

"Tell Hayley…" he muttered. "Not mad…not mad at…none of you…"

Trent smiled faintly, nodding.

"I'll tell her, Dr. O," he said. "Get some rest."

"Mmm hmm…" Tommy mumbled, dropping his hand.

When Tommy didn't say anything else, Trent hurried out into the hall before Hayley came after him. He shut the door behind him. Hayley was visibly seething. If they hadn't been in a hospital, she probably would have been yelling at the three women arguing with her.

"You have no right—" Kat tried to protest.

"I have every right!" Hayley snarled. "I want all three of you to leave. Now! And if you don't, I'll call security. I don't think the nurses are going to help you after what you did."

"What we did?" Aisha exclaimed. "And what about them? None of this would have happened if they knew how to behave!"

"I don't think so," Kira growled, taking a step toward Aisha. "We don't know how to behave? You're the ones who've been driving Dr. O up a wall—"

Hayley held up a hand and Kira stopped, contenting herself with glaring as Trent put an arm around her shoulders.

"You three have five seconds to turn around and start walking," Hayley said softly. "Or I will call security and you will be banned from the hospital for the duration of Tommy's stay."

"You wouldn't," Tanya said.

"Five…" Hayley started counting, holding up a hand as she counted down on her fingers. "Four… Three…"

Muttering to themselves, the other three women spun and stalked away down the hall. Hayley took a deep breath and turned to face the teens.

"Car. Now," she snapped.

None of them argued, following her to the car in silence. The three boys hopped in the back without protest, leaving Kira to take the front seat with Hayley. It was silent as they pulled out of the parking lot. Then Hayley glanced over.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"Oh, I'll tell you what happened," Kira muttered. "Those three happened."

"I'm assuming you mean Tanya, Kat, and Aisha," Hayley said, raising an eyebrow. "And not the three in the backseat."

"Of course," Kira said. "We were doing just fine until they showed up. There was music playing, we were playing Monopoly, and Dr. O was relaxing. He was asleep! Then they show up, banging the door open without warning and everything exploded. They scared all of us, the game board got knocked off the table and Ethan's chair fell over. All that noise woke up Dr. O and he sat up too quickly. I think he hurt himself…"

Hayley took a deep breath, glaring out the front windshield.

"What were they doing there?" she growled.

"No idea," Kira glowered. "But then they had the audacity to blame everything on us and kick us out of the room."

"They did what?" Hayley exclaimed.

In the backseat, Conner, Ethan, and Trent were fairly quiet.

"I can feel the anger radiating off of them," Conner hissed, leaning over to the other two. "I'm just glad it's not me this time…"

"Shhh…" Ethan said, hushing him. "Don't draw any attention to yourself."

By the time Hayley parked in front of the café, Kira had finished explaining everything. As they were all climbing out of the car, Hayley's phone started ringing. Sighing, she pulled it out of her pocket.

"Go get your stuff," she said, waving them ahead. "Back out here in five. It's time to call it a night."

Nodding, the four teens headed inside.

"Hello?" Hayley answered.

Back at the hospital, Mrs. James stopped by Tommy's room again. She'd seen Hayley leaving with the kids and wanted to make sure he was sleeping. But she found Tommy fumbling with his phone, looking at it in confusion as he tried to fight through the fog of the medicine.

"Dr. Oliver," she scolded gently, walking over to his bed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Texting," he muttered, still staring at the phone in his hand. "I think…"

"Who are you trying to text?" she asked.

"Hal—Ha—" he mumbled. "My wife…"

"Uh huh," Mrs. James said patiently. "And why are you trying to text her?"

"Need to talk…" Tommy answered, still frowning. "Not mad…the kids…want them to—come tomorrow…"

Mrs. James smiled and gently took the phone from Tommy.

"Why don't I help you with that?" she asked. "I'll call for you, alright?"

"Mmm k…" he mumbled, now staring at his hand.

"Lay down, Tommy," Mrs. James said. "I'll call Hayley right now."

Nodding, Tommy leaned back against the pillows again. Staying next to the bed, Mrs. James dialed and waited for Hayley to answer. It didn't take more than a couple of rings.

"Hello?" Mrs. James said. "Hello, Hayley—this is Mrs. James—no, he's fine. He was trying to text you, so I thought I'd give him a hand—yes, he wanted to tell you something and I agree with him. Tommy wants you to know that he's not mad at the kids. In fact, he would love to have them come back tomorrow—Yes. And I can vouch for the rest of the nurses when I say we'd love to have them again, too. They've been great to have around. A few of the others have been commenting that they miss them—right. It was great having them around for those first few days before the surgery and right after. They're good for him. I'm not so sure about his friends—oh. Alright—Thank you. We'll see you tomorrow."

Hanging up, Mrs. James set the phone down on the side table.

"There you go," she said. "They'll be back tomorrow."

"Thanks…" Tommy mumbled. "Night…"

"Goodnight," she smiled.

Hayley was off the phone and waiting in the car when Kira, Conner, Ethan, and Trent emerged from the café, locking the door behind them. They climbed silently back into the car and Hayley started it up.

"I'm sorry, guys," she said after a moment as they drove down the street. "I know none of you were trying to hurt Tommy."

"We really are sorry, Hayley," Conner said. "We'd never do anything to purposefully hurt Dr. O."

"He stopped me on the way out," Trent said. "He wanted us to know he wasn't mad."

Hayley smiled.

"Of course he did," she sighed. "Which is just as well. That phone call was from your mom, Ethan."

"Uh-oh…" Ethan said, sinking back into his seat. "I'm in so much trouble…"

"Actually," Hayley said. "You're not. She told me Tommy wants all of you back tomorrow and that she agrees with him."

"Really?" Ethan exclaimed, perking back up.

"Really," Hayley laughed. "She said the four of you have been good for him."

"Because we don't tread on eggshells," Kira scoffed. "Dr. O would kill us if we tried to treat him like an invalid. Well, once he could get around again, anyways…"

Hayley chuckled.

"Now where are the four of you staying tonight?" she asked. "Am I taking you all home?"

There was a chorus of affirmatives around the car. So, one by one, Hayley dropped the four rangers off at home. After dropping Trent off, Hayley pulled out her cell phone. She was alone now and had something to take care of.

"Jason?" she said as soon as the phone picked up. "Where are you?—Oh. Good. I'll be there in ten minutes."


	18. Everybody out

Jason was standing on the front porch talking to Kim when Hayley pulled up to the house. They paused, watching her climb out of the car.

"Jason Scott!" Hayley snapped, stalking toward them. "I need to talk to you. Now."

Kim, eyes wide, glanced back and forth between Hayley and Jason for a moment.

"Good luck, Jason!" she exclaimed, darting away and into the house.

"Traitor!" Jason yelled after her before turning back to face Hayley.

She was glaring at him, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Umm… Hey, Hayley," Jason said warily. "Is everything alright?"

"I told you to control them!" Hayley growled.

"And I am," Jason protested. "Everyone is here."

"Oh, is that so?" Hayley said, raising an eyebrow. "So where have Aisha, Kat, and Tanya been for—oh, let's say the past hour?"

Jason was silent for a moment, frowning as he tried to remember where he had seen them. But he'd lost track of the three women for a while until they'd come back inside.

"What happened?" Jason asked.

"They happened!" Hayley exclaimed. "Tommy is supposed to be resting. He can't do that if no one will leave him alone."

"Hayley, what did they do?" Jason said.

"Those three came to the hospital tonight," Hayley said shortly. "After I specifically said everyone needed to back off. Tommy was sleeping. Actually sleeping. On his own. From what the nurse told me, he hadn't needed pain meds for hours. He was relaxed with the kids there. It was normal. Then the three of them burst into the room, cause a racket, and wake him up! He woke abruptly out of a sound sleep. We won't know until morning when the doctor is in, but the nurse is afraid he may have torn some stitching when he jerked up that quickly."

"Oh no…" Jason muttered, shaking his head. "Hay—"

"Oh, I'm not done yet," Hayley said, holding up a hand. "The three of them then proceed to kick the kids out of the room, blaming everything on them. They accused them of waking Tommy up! In actuality, Tommy was fast asleep until they walked in the room. The nurse saw him herself."

Jason grimaced.

"I'm going to have a serious talk with those three," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Oh, it's not just those three you'll be talking to," Hayley said shortly. "It's all of them. I understand that all of you are worried. He's your friend and he's important to you. But Tommy is never going to recover if he can't relax and get some rest. He needs to eat, too. So I'm giving the lot of you one last chance to fix the situation yourselves."

"Thanks, Hayley," Jason said, smiling a little.

She raised an eyebrow.

"So what are you going to do about it?" she asked expectantly.

"I don't know," Jason frowned. "But I'll start with talking to everyone at dinner."

"You've already tried talking," she snapped. "Talking doesn't work."

The front door suddenly flew open.

"I've got an idea!" Zach interrupted. "Let's all go home!"

"Zach!" Jason snapped, turning to glare at him. "Go away."

"Seriously, dude," Zach argued. "We should all leave Reefside for a while. Go home. Leave Tommy alone."

"Zach!" Jason growled. "Shut up and get out of here."

"I was just saying—" Zach started to protest.

"No," Jason interrupted. "Go. Now."

Grumbling, Zach shut the door. Jason took a deep breath and turned back to Hayley. She was smirking at him.

"You know what?" she said. "I like his idea."

"What?" Jason exclaimed. "You can't be serious. Leave Reefside?"

"Why not?" Hayley challenged. "You can't all stay here indefinitely and Tommy needs the space."

"And what if something happens?" Jason retorted. "None of us want to lose him."

Hayley scoffed.

"And you think I do?" she snapped. "Jason, he's not improving with all of you around. It's too much. One or two people hovering? Fine. Ten people hovering? No. It's completely stressing him out. So you're going to leave Reefside and go home for a while. And if anything happens, I do know all of your phone numbers now."

"Hayley," Jason said.

But Hayley just started shaking her head.

"I'm done arguing," she said. "So here's what's going to happen. All of you have twenty-four hours to clear out of Reefside. And you are to stay away until I call you. Go back to your lives and your jobs and your families for a while and give each other a break. Don't think I haven't noticed all of you snapping at each other."

"You can't make us leave," Jason said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, can't I?" Hayley smirked, pulling her phone out. "Anton is at dinner tonight with the chief of police and the mayor. One phone call—"

"You wouldn't," Jason sputtered.

"Oh, I would," Hayley said. "And at a bare minimum I can have all of you barred from the hospital and this house, not to mention anywhere else Tommy may end up as he recovers."

Jason sputtered, trying to come up with an argument.

"What I'm asking isn't that hard, Jason," Hayley sighed. "He just needs some time. Leave Reefside. Take a break. The house is in good shape now. Ken's crew can finish it up. And when Tommy is ready to leave the hospital, I'll call and you can come back for a bit. Deal?"

"Do I have a choice?" Jason muttered.

"Not at all," Hayley said.

Jason sighed, but nodded.

"Fine," he said.

"Good," Hayley said. "So that means by this time tomorrow, everyone needs to be gone. The only ones I want to see are Billy, because he's staying with us, and Ken, because he's fixing the house. Anyone else and I carry through on my threat to have them evicted from the area."

"Agreed," Jason said reluctantly. "Now we have to tell the others…"

"We?" Hayley said, raising an eyebrow. "What's this 'we'? I've done my part. It's your job to pass on the news."

Jason stared at Hayley in shock.

"There will be a mutiny!" he exclaimed.

"That's your problem, not mine," Hayley said. "Mine are under control."

Jason groaned, running a hand through his hair. Then the front door popped open again.

"Don't worry, Jason," Kim said, poking her head out. "I was leaving to go back to my gym in the morning anyways. You won't get any argument from me."

"Kim!" Jason exclaimed.

She just grinned, pulling her head back in and shutting the door.

"Is anyone else listening?" Jason cried in exasperation.

The door slowly creaked open and Jason threw his hands up in the air.

"I was just coming to inform you that dinner will be ready in approximately fifteen minutes," Billy said, standing in the doorway. "I was not eavesdropping…"

"Thanks, Billy," Jason sighed, waving him away. "I'll be in shortly."

Billy nodded, shutting the door again. Jason turned back around to see Hayley walking toward her car.

"Where are you going?" Jason asked.

"The hospital," Hayley answered, pausing to look at him. "I think it's best you handle this discussion on your own. Because if I see any of those three right now, I'll do worse than slap them. Tommy wouldn't be happy about it later. I might regret it. Possibly—No, actually, I don't think I would. That's why I need to go."

She climbed into her car.

"Remember," she said before shutting the door. "Twenty-four hours."

Slamming the door shut, Hayley backed the car around and raced down the driveway and out of sight. Groaning again, Jason started pacing back and forth on the porch until someone announced dinner was ready in the kitchen.

"I hope Tommy is alright," Kat sighed, leaning on the table with her head in her hands.

Kat, Tanya, and Aisha were sitting at the kitchen table talking quietly. While they had been gone, the guys had taken it upon themselves to make dinner. That meant there was really nothing for them to do but wait now that they were back.

"He'd be better if those kids would let him rest," Tanya said.

Aisha nodded in agreement, but she was watching something else.

"There's someone else who should leave him alone, too," she said quietly.

Tanya and Kat turned to see what she was looking at. Kim was standing in the hallway talking to Zach, who was gesturing toward the front door.

"Someone needs to have a talk with her," Kat agreed. "This—thing—with Tommy is getting out of hand."

"I'll talk to her," Aisha volunteered as Kim disappeared toward the front door. "We were best friends. And sometimes she can get a little caught up in herself…But she really is a good person. She just needs to, well, fix it…"

Kat and Tanya didn't argue, so Aisha stood up to follow Kim. As she walked out into the hallway, she heard Jason yelling Kim's name from the front porch. Aisha waited patiently as Kim ducked back inside, smiling and shaking her head as she turned around. Billy was there too, looking a little surprised. He opened the door again as Kim walked toward Aisha.

"Hey," Kim smiled. "Is dinner done?"

"Not yet," Aisha said shortly. "But girl, we need to talk."

Kim frowned, but Aisha just took her arm and started pulling her toward the back end of the house away from the rest of the rangers.

"Aisha," Kim said as she was towed into Tommy's office. "What's wrong?"

Aisha didn't answer right away, turning to close the door behind them. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at Kim.

"Kim," she started slowly. "You know you're my best friend, right?"

"Of course," Kim said. "We've been best friends since high school. That hasn't changed."

"Good," Aisha said. "Then you know I mean the best when I say this."

"Say what?" Kim asked, confused.

"Our group has always been really close," Aisha said. "And that's great."

"Well, yeah," Kim agreed.

"And some of us have always been closer than others," Aisha continued. "And that's fine, too. I don't want anything to change."

Kim frowned.

"I don't either…" she said slowly, trying to figure out what Aisha was talking about.

"Then, Kim, honey," Aisha said. "We need to be careful with our actions. Choices were made a long time ago and it's too late to change them. Trying will just end up hurting all of us."

"But—" Kim started to protest, still utterly confused.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Aisha asked, putting a hand on Kim's arm.

Kim shook her head. Aisha sighed.

"Oh, honey," she said. "Listen. Sometimes the person you end up with isn't the person you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with. But there's nothing wrong with that."

"Ok…" Kim said slowly, confusion clearly written across her face.

"Honey, marriage is hard," Aisha said, trying to come from another direction. "It's work. It really is. And maybe it wasn't everything you were expecting, but you owe it to that person to do everything you can to make it work. Running from a problem won't make it better. Right?"

"Right," Kim nodded, hoping she was agreeing with something good.

"Then you'll—" Aisha started to continue.

But the door opened and Rocky poked his head in.

"Dinner is done," he said. "Jason wants us all in the kitchen."

Aisha sighed, shooting a glare at Rocky. But he was already back out of the room.

"We'll talk more later, alright?" Aisha asked Kim.

She nodded, trailing behind Aisha as they both headed toward the kitchen.

"Alright," Jason said. "I need everyone's attention."

Jason had waited until everyone was eating before he tried breaking the news. He figured that would be the safest way. They were all gathered around the table in the kitchen, a few people standing at the counter since the table really wasn't built to seat ten.

"What's up, Jase?" Zach asked, grinning.

"You, hush," Jason snapped, glaring at him. "You've helped enough already."

But Zach just continued to smirk, going back to his food. Jason took a deep breath, looking around at the other rangers. Everyone was looking at him expectantly.

"We've got a problem," Jason said.

"Dude, we've got a lot of problems," Zach snickered.

"Zach!" Jason exclaimed.

"Sorry," Zach muttered.

Groaning, Jason rubbed a hand over his face muttering under his breath.

"Anyways," he said, glaring at Zach. "Like I was saying. There's a problem."

"What is it?" Adam asked.

"It's Tommy," Jason said. "And all of us."

"Is he alright?" Kat asked fearfully, her eyes wide.

"As much as he can be," Jason answered. "But he's not recovering like he should be. So, to give him a chance to relax and recover, all of us are leaving Reefside."

The room exploded in chaos as most of the rangers immediately started protesting. Loudly. Zach ignored the outburst, eating his food like nothing was wrong. Billy and Ken, though they didn't start shouting, looked at Jason in surprise. Kim, sitting quietly next to Ken, just stared down at her plate. The rest of the rangers, however, were demanding answers.

"What do you mean, 'leaving Reefside'?" Aisha demanded. "Why should we have to go anywhere?"

"Aisha's right," Rocky agreed. "Tommy needs us."

"Especially if he's not doing well," Tanya added. "He needs more people around to take care of him."

"Guys, that's the nurses' job," Jason sighed. "Not ours. We came here to fix his house. And we can't even do that properly…"

"I'm not leaving, Jason," Kat said, crossing her arms in front of her. "Not while Tommy's still hurting."

Jason groaned.

"Jase, seriously," Adam said. "We're just here to help."

"I know," Jason said. "But that's the point. We aren't helping. We're just making things worse."

"How can we possibly be making things worse?" Tanya asked. "Tommy hasn't had to worry about anything since we got here."

"But he has," Jason countered. "I talked to Hayley earlier and—"

"Why bring her into this?" Kat scoffed. "This is about Tommy, not her."

"Because of what she told me earlier," Jason said. "Tommy's been slowly getting worse over the past two weeks, not better."

"Well, if she'd keep those kids away, maybe he could get some actual rest," Aisha snapped. "Their behavior is appalling."

Jason turned to look at Aisha.

"Their behavior?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said," she answered. "You didn't see them at the hospital earlier this evening—"

"But you did," Jason said shortly. "After I expressly told everyone to leave Tommy alone for the rest of the night."

"Well, we thought he could use some company," Tanya said defensively. "And it would have been fine if those four hadn't been there—"

"I already know what happened," Jason interrupted. "Hayley told me exactly what the nurses said. Thanks to your 'visit' earlier, Tommy may have to spend even longer recovering. And if he tore something, which the nurse is afraid he may have, he might have to go back in for surgery again."

"What?" Rocky exclaimed, looking between the three women and Jason in surprise. "But what happened? And if he has to go back in for more surgery, that's even more reason to stay."

"The kids were being loud," Kat said, starting to explain. "They woke Tommy—"

"No, Kat," Jason said, stopping her. "They didn't wake him up. The nurse saw him in there, sound asleep while the kids were arguing, at least a half an hour before you showed up. It was the three of you, barging into the room like you owned the place and scolding the kids that woke him up."

The other rangers turned to look at Aisha, Tanya, and Kat in surprise. Even Kim, who had been strangely silent, glanced up at the news.

"But they're the ones who knocked over the game and the chairs," Aisha protested.

"And they wouldn't have done that if the three of you hadn't burst into the room," Jason said. "The point is, we're past the point of helping. Tommy needs some space. Actually, I think all of us do. Don't think I haven't noticed the snapping. We're all driving each other crazy and it's carrying over to Tommy. The stress is going to kill him—"

The girls gasped.

"Not literally," Jason groaned. "But you know what I mean…I'm worried about him just as much as the rest of you are, but we all need to back off a little."

"So we'll just visit him less," Tanya said. "We don't need to leave Reefside."

"Actually," Billy said, speaking up. "Fewer visits will not necessarily decrease his stress levels. It could actually do the opposite, as he will then be concerned about when we are coming to visit and not knowing whether he is able to take a nap or eat. It is well known in the medical field that happiness and relaxation are essential to a full and prompt recovery. Tommy does not appear to have either with our presence at this moment."

"So now you're saying he isn't happy to see us?" Kat exclaimed.

"No," Billy said, shaking his head. "I merely meant that our presence is currently causing him undue stress."

"I still don't think it's necessary for all of us to leave," Aisha argued.

"She's right," Tanya agreed. "At least a few of us should stay with Tommy."

"Nope," Jason said, shaking his head. "All of us are leaving. And we have twenty-four hours to leave town before Hayley has us escorted out."

Kat scoffed.

"She can't do that," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Jason is actually correct," Billy said. "Hayley does indeed have the connections necessary to, at the very least, ban us from seeing Tommy. Without permission to be in this very house we're considered trespassers. None of us have any lasting ties to the community besides Tommy and therefore the proper authorities would have few barriers to escorting us outside of the town limits."

"And who knows," Zach said. "If we're not careful, Hayley will just get a restraining order against us. Not that I'd mind all that much since I'm ready to get out of here. Have I mentioned I miss L.A.?"

Kat started to protest again, but Jason held up a hand.

"This isn't about who can or can't do what, remember?" he said. "This is about giving Tommy every chance to recover so he can get back to normal. So the decision is made. After dinner, every one of us is going back to the hotel and getting ready to leave first thing in the morning. And there will be no more visits to the hospital before we leave."

"Jason!" Tanya exclaimed.

But Adam, who had been silent for the past few minutes, put a hand on her arm.

"Honey, I think Jason is right," he said quietly. "It'll give Tommy some peace and quiet. And besides, we do have work to get done. I'm sure it's the same for everyone else. We can't put our lives on hold indefinitely. All of us have obligations."

Jason sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Adam," he said. "And that's exactly my point. Aisha, you and Rocky need to go back to Sophia and your jobs. I need to go home to Mark and Trini and my dojo. Kim, you have your gym waiting. Zach's dancers need him back, too, and Kat I'm sure you're way behind on your projects."

The rangers all started nodding reluctantly, knowing Jason was right.

"Great," he sighed. "Then we're agreed. Tomorrow morning everyone except Billy and Ken head home."

"Why do they get to stay?" Aisha exclaimed, outraged.

"Because," Jason snapped. "Billy is Tommy's guest while he is on Earth and Ken is in charge of the construction on the house, which isn't going to stop just because we aren't here. Everyone else is going home. No arguments. And no one comes back to Reefside until I get a call from Hayley saying it's alright."

"But—" Kat started to protest.

"No arguments," Jason said, holding up a hand. "And if any of you choose to disregard what I have said, you will face any and all consequences on your own. Is everyone on the same page now?"

With reluctant agreements from the rangers, dinner finished in silence. No one was happy with Jason's news. And everyone followed the ultimatum. First thing the next morning, the rangers cleared out of Reefside.


	19. They Return

"Kim!" Ken called, walking in the front door. "Are you home?"

Seeing her purse and keys on the counter, Ken decided that she was definitely home even if she didn't answer right away. Kicking off his shoes, he dropped his bag on the ground and went in search of Kim. It had been several days since the rangers left Reefside. Ken was home for the day to get some clean clothes and check in on Kim, because her odd behavior was starting to worry him.

"Kim!" he called again, heading toward the backyard.

He found her curled up in the porch swing, staring blankly at a book. She jumped in surprise when he sat down next to her.

"Ken!" she exclaimed. "When did you get back?"

"Just now," he said, smiling. "Absorbed in the book?"

"Hmm?" Kim said. "Oh. Not really…I was just—thinking…"

Ken frowned.

"About what?" he asked.

Kim sighed, shaking her head and staring down at the book again. Determined to get the whole story out of her, Ken reached over and gently removed the book from her hands. He set it off to the side and scooted closer, wrapping his arms around Kim.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked. "I've hardly heard from you over the past three days. Normally you call me several times a day, talking my ear off, and I've barely heard from you once a day since you came home."

She stared at her hands for another moment, clearly conflicted.

"Kim?" Ken said gently.

"You aren't mad at me, are you?" she finally burst out. "I mean—we're ok, right? I know I was kind of flirting with Tommy a little bit, but it doesn't mean anything… we're just friends now and—"

She cut herself off, burying her face in his chest.

"What are you talking about, Kim?" Ken asked in surprise.

"Aisha," Kim muttered. "She pulled me aside to talk to me the night before we left. It sounded like she was hinting at marriage problems—maybe between us…But we're ok, right?"

She looked back up at him, tears in her eyes. Ken immediately pulled her closer.

"Of course we are," he answered, kissing the top of her head. "I don't know what Aisha was talking about, but there is nothing wrong with our marriage. And if I thought you flirting with Tommy was a problem, then I'd be a hypocrite with all the flirting I've done with Hayley. Honey, it's just fun between friends. There's nothing wrong."

"Promise?" Kim asked.

"I promise," Ken said. "So stop crying, please."

Nodding, Kim smiled up at him and wiped a few tears away.

"Have you been moping around thinking something was wrong for three days?" he asked.

Kim nodded again, blushing as Ken chuckled.

"You should have said something," Ken said. "You can always talk to me and you know that."

"I know," Kim sighed, snuggling closer. "Just this time—well, I was afraid of the answer I might get…"

Ken nodded in understanding. For a little while, they sat there in silence just enjoying each other's company.

"Ken," Kim said softly. "Do you think maybe Aisha was talking about herself? Her marriage, I mean. She said some things about not wanting our group to change and the person you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with not being the right one…"

Ken frowned.

"I don't know," he answered, shaking his head. "I guess that's something you'd have to talk to her about."

"But she was being so cryptic," Kim muttered. "I don't think she's sure she wants to talk about it yet…"

"Then just let her know you're ready to talk when she is," Ken said. "After all, that's what friends are for."

Kim nodded. It was quiet again for a few minutes.

"So," Ken said, finally breaking the silence. "What's for dinner?"

Rolling her eyes, Kim smacked him on the arm. In retaliation, he started tickling her until she nearly fell off of the swing.

"You know what?" she huffed, escaping his grasp. "Just for that, you get to make dinner."

Sticking her tongue out at him, Kim stalked away. But Ken just laughed and followed her into the house.

"Come on," Kim muttered impatiently, pacing around her living room. "Someone answer the phone."

Two days after her talk with Ken, Kim had finally decided to try and talk to Aisha or Rocky to see if everything was alright. If she could get one of them to answer the phone. She'd already tried both cell phones to no answer, so now she was trying the house phone.

"_Hello?" _Rocky finally answered.

"Rocky!" Kim exclaimed. "Finally. Do either of you ever answer your cell phones?"

"_Oh," _Rocky said. _"Umm…I'm actually not sure where mine is right now…I let Sophia play with it and I'm not sure where it ended up…And Aisha is on her computer right now. She's meeting with someone over the webcam."_

"Oh, alright," said Kim. "But maybe you shouldn't let the two-year-old play with your phone…"

"_It's alright," _Rocky said, unconcerned. _"She's not allowed to touch my radio, so work can still get a hold of me in an emergency."_

Kim rolled her eyes.

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?" she asked.

"_Sure," _he answered. _"Aisha's gonna be in her meeting for a while and Soph is happy with her dolls right now."_

"Good," Kim smiled, plopping down in a chair. "So how are you doing?"

"_Umm… Fine," _Rocky said slowly. _"I'm good… How are you? How's Ken?"_

"We're fine," Kim answered. "Ken's actually back in Reefside right now, though, so it's a little lonely here. How about you? Are you ever lonely?"

There was a pause before Rocky answered.

"_No, not really," _he said. _"Not with Sophia around and Aisha working from home…"_

"Yeah," Kim said. "It must be nice having Aisha and Sophia around all the time. I'm sure you love it."

"_Umm… yeah," _Rocky said.

"But you could be lonely even if they're there," Kim persisted. "Do you ever feel that way?"

"_No," _Rocky said, sounding a little confused.

"Well that's good," Kim sighed. "But is it hard, balancing Sophia and work and still having time for you and Aisha?"

"_I guess, sometimes," _Rocky answered. _"But we make it work."_

"So you never have any problems?" Kim asked, trying to be a little more direct.

"_Problems with what?" _Rocky asked.

"Oh for goodness sakes, Rocky," Kim said shortly. "With anything. You and Aisha."

"_I don't think we do," _Rocky answered after a moment. _"We've pretty much worked out a schedule with Soph. We takes turns and make sure we both have time to get our work done. Our parents help when we're swamped."_

Kim huffed. She obviously wasn't going to get a straight answer from Rocky right now.

"Alright," she said. "Well, I need to go. I have an appointment in twenty minutes and I don't want to miss it."

Saying goodbye to Rocky, Kim hung up the phone and fell backward onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling. She was going to have to find a better way to speak to Aisha and him about what was going on. After a few minutes, she sighed and stood up. She was going to be late meeting a new applicant for the gym if she didn't hurry to get ready.

"It was one of the weirdest conversations I think I've ever had with Kim," Rocky said, shaking his head.

It was the day after Kim had called and he and Adam were hanging out, watching Sophia while Tanya and Aisha were out for the afternoon. Rocky had just finished explaining the odd phone call to Adam. Sophia was on the floor coloring.

"And she got mad out of nowhere," Rocky continued. "One minute she was all happy and talking about Sophia and life with a kid and then she was snapping at me. I have no idea what I said…It was a little like when Aisha was pregnant and trying to get me to guess…"

Adam frowned, something Rocky had said clicking.

"Rocky," he said slowly. "Do you think Kim could be pregnant?"

"What?" Rocky exclaimed. "But—oh. Do you really think she could be?"

Adam shrugged.

"Well, you did say she was talking about Sophia a lot," Adam said. "And kept asking how you managed everything. And pregnancy does explain mood swings."

"Kim is pregnant!" Rocky yelped. "Aisha is going to be so excited!"

"Hold on a sec," Adam said, shaking his head. "Did Kim actually say she was pregnant?"

"Well, no," Rocky said, frowning. "She didn't…"

"Then you shouldn't tell anyone," Adam said.

"But why?" Rocky asked. "Isn't it good news?"

"Yes," Adam agreed. "But it doesn't sound like she's ready for everyone to know. If she was, she would have said outright."

"Well, she did say she had an appointment," Rocky said. "Maybe she's waiting to hear for sure from the doctor…"

Adam nodded in agreement.

"So we don't say anything," he said. "Let Kim tell everyone when she's ready."

"Alright," Rocky agreed reluctantly.

Sophia, bored with coloring, chose that moment to start throwing crayons.

"Soph!" Rocky exclaimed as a crayon bounced off of his leg.

Later that night, after Sophia was asleep, Rocky climbed into bed with Aisha.

"Hey, honey?" he said, reaching over to turn off the light.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, snuggling closer.

"Have you talked to Kim lately?" he asked.

"Not since we left Reefside," Aisha answered. "Why?"

Rocky was silent for a moment, arguing with himself.

"Rocky, is something wrong?" Aisha asked.

"I think Kim is pregnant," Rocky blurted.

"What?" Aisha exclaimed, bolting upright.

She turned on her light, looking at Rocky in surprise.

"She called me yesterday," Rocky said. "And she kept talking about Sophia and balancing life with a kid and then she got mad at me for no reason—kind of like when you were trying to tell me you were pregnant…"

Aisha sat in silence for a moment.

"So she didn't actually tell you?" she asked.

Rocky shook his head.

"But she had an appointment yesterday," he said. "So maybe she doesn't know for sure?"

"Maybe," Aisha murmured, turning off her light and settling back down. "I'll give her a call soon. She might tell me."

"Please tell me you have good news," Tommy grumbled as Hayley came walking into the room.

Tommy was sitting in a chair next to the window, his computer in his lap. It had been a couple of weeks since the rangers left. With fewer people around and stressing him out, Tommy had started recovering a lot faster. He'd even started physical therapy. But they still hadn't released him from the hospital and he was starting to get restless.

"Maybe," Hayley smirked, moving to sit in the chair across from him. "Or maybe not."

"Hayley," Tommy complained.

"Oh, alright," she said. "You get to leave tomorrow."

Tommy sighed in relief.

"Finally," he said.

"But you don't get to go home," Hayley continued before he could get too excited.

"What?" Tommy exclaimed. "Why?"

"Because the house isn't quite ready," she answered. "It still hasn't been cleared. Things slowed down a bit without the extra hands."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Tommy muttered. "Stay here?"

Hayley rolled her eyes.

"Not unless you want to," she said. "Anton has offered to let us stay at his house—"

"No," Tommy interrupted. "I appreciate the offer, but no."

"If you'd let me finish," Hayley said drily. "I already turned him down. We're getting a hotel. Ken should only need another week or two to get the entire house up to code."

"Oh, good," Tommy sighed. "But I guess the hotel is better than the hospital room."

"That's what I thought," Hayley smiled. "So we'll move you in there tomorrow. And the kids are going to be gone most of the week as they start getting ready for school, so it should be fairly quiet."

"And you'll be gone for your bike race," Tommy added. "So I get a whole week to myself to work and enjoy the peace and quiet."

Hayley shook her head.

"I'm not going," she said.

"Why?" Tommy asked in surprise. "Did it get cancelled?"

"No," Hayley said. "I'm just not going. It's too long to be away."

"It's only one week, Hayley," Tommy said. "You need a break, too."

She continued to shake her head.

"Hayley," Tommy sighed. "I don't want you to miss it because of me. You've been registered for months now. And besides, if you don't go, who is going to make all the new bikers cry?"

Hayley threw up her hands.

"That was one time!" she protested. "And I didn't do it on purpose. I did apologize afterward…"

Tommy just chuckled.

"And it was still the best race every," he said. "But seriously, you should go. You've done nothing but run the café and take care of me for the past month. Take a break. Go enjoy yourself. And take Billy. He's barely gotten out of Reefside since he got back to Earth."

"Tommy," Hayley sighed.

"Go, Hayley," he said. "Everything will be fine here."

Hayley groaned, rubbing a hand across her face.

"Hayley, please," Tommy said, reaching over and grabbing one of her hands. "We both need some time to ourselves and you know it. We're starting to drive each other nuts."

"Fine," Hayley said reluctantly. "But you'll call if anything happens?"

"I will," Tommy promised. "And there will be plenty of people around if I need anything. Anton and Ellen are just a call away and so are the kids. Sure they'll be busy this week, but at least one of them will usually be free. Everything will be fine."

"Alright," she conceded. "I'll go. But I'm not leaving until tomorrow after we move you into the hotel. Deal?"

Tommy nodded, chuckling. Hayley sighed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Tommy asked.

"I should call Jason," Hayley said. "I did promise to call him with updates. I supposed I should actually tell him you'll be leaving the hospital."

"Mmm.. Ok," Tommy said, turning back to his computer. "I'll be here."

Rolling her eyes, Hayley headed back out of the room.

"I'll be back for dinner," she said as she walked out.

Tommy just waved a hand absently, focused on his work.

Jason groaned, leaning back in his chair. It had been a crazy couple of weeks at the dojo as he tried to catch up with everything he'd missed. There were students needing extra lessons for competition, students wanting pointers for belt testing, and students who just wanted attention. Plus there was a ton of paperwork to catch up on. His cell phone starting to ring was a welcome break.

"Jason Scott," he said, not looking at the caller ID.

"_Hey, Jason," _was the response.

"Hayley!" Jason exclaimed. "What's going on? How's Tommy?"

"_He's doing great," _she answered. _"Physical therapy is going really well. We actually just found out the hospital is releasing him tomorrow."_

"Great!" Jason said. "Is the house ready, then?"

Hayley sighed.

"_Not quite," _she said. _"Ken still needs another week. Everything slowed down a bit once all of you left. But that's alright. We're getting a hotel."_

"Ah, gotcha," he said. "So, does that mean you want us to come back or—"

"_No," _Hayley interrupted. _"I just wanted to update you. We're thinking of having a small party once the house is done, but I'll let you know about that. This next week I'll actually be out of town for a bike race. Billy is going with me. Tommy is planning on catching up on some work and spending time with the kids, so he'll be fine."_

"Sounds good to me," Jason said. "So I'll talk to you later about visiting?"

"_I'll call you," _she said. _"Anyways, I need to deal with a few things at the café before dinner."_

Saying goodbye, Jason hung up and leaned back in his chair again. It was good hearing Tommy was getting out of the hospital. Looking back at his computer, Jason decided he'd make at least one more phone call before he went back to work.

"Let's see," he muttered, glancing at the clock. "Who's not busy right about now?"

Making a decision, he dialed the phone and waited for an answer.

"_Katherine Hillard," _came the answer.

"Hey, Kat," Jason said. "Got some good news."

"_Hello, Jason," _she said. _"What is it?"_

"Tommy is getting out of the hospital tomorrow," Jason answered. "I guess he's been doing so good with his physical therapy and everything that they decided he didn't need to stay in the hospital anymore."

"_That's wonderful!" _Kat exclaimed. _"So he gets to go home now?"_

"Not quite," Jason said. "He's gotta stay in a hotel for a week or so while Ken finishes up the house."

"_Oh," _Kat said. _"Well that's not too bad. He should still be able to relax just fine."_

"Yeah," said Jason. "It sounds like he's got this next week pretty well planned out. I guess Hayley's going to be out of town with Billy for the week at a bike race."

"_Is she now?" _Kat said. _"Well, I'm sure he'll have a wonderful week."_

Jason frowned at the sudden change in tone in Kat's voice, but shrugged it off.

"_Anyways," _she said. _"I need to return to my work. Thank you for the update. I need to call Aisha later, so I can pass on the news."_

"Thanks," Jason said. "I'm gonna call Zach before I get back to my own work. I'll talk to you later."

Off the phone with Kat, Jason glanced again at his computer and then called Zach.

"Hey, Zach," Jason said when Zach answered. "Got some news for you."

"Everything is all set for you, Tommy," Anton said, standing a short distance from where Tommy was sitting on the couch. "If you need anything at all, you just need to contact the front desk."

Tommy was sitting on the couch in his hotel room relaxing. They'd just finished moving him in and Hayley and Anton were running over the final details before they both left him alone. There was a stack of books on the table in front of Tommy and he had his computer, too. His crutches were within arms' reach.

"Got it," Tommy said. "I'll see you later."

Anton raised an eyebrow, but didn't move.

"You don't need to worry about asking for the bill," he continued as though Tommy hadn't said anything. "I've already taken care of it."

"Of course you did," Tommy muttered.

"Any and all services you need, such as room service, are covered as well," Anton said. "and I've passed along your dietary restrictions to the kitchen. The staff at the front desk know to assist you in any way you need."

"Yep, still got it," Tommy said, making shooing motions with his hand. "Go on."

Shaking his head, Anton started moving toward the door. Hayley, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Your physical therapist will be by once a day," he said as he walked toward the door. "You'll be using the gym downstairs for your sessions. And if you should need anything the hotel cannot provide, I am just a phone call away. As are Ellen or the kids."

"Mmm hmm…" Tommy said impatiently. "I'm good."

Sighing, Anton stepped out into the hallway. But the door had barely closed when it opened again and Anton poked his head inside.

"Oh, one more thing," he said. "I've made sure the hotel staff know that you are to have no more than two hours a day between the gym and the pool. Including the time spent with your physical therapist. They are under instructions to call me should you over extend your time."

Without waiting for a reply, Anton disappeared into the hallway again.

"Of course," Tommy muttered. "What's the good in staying at a hotel with a gym if I can't even use it?"

Hayley smirked, shaking her head.

"Stop looking so smug," Tommy grumbled. "Are you supposed to be leaving, too?"

She raised an eyebrow as she stood up.

"Well fine," she said. "If that's the way you're gonna be, I'm going to find Billy. All I have left to do is load the car and we're out of here."

Huffing, she turned and strode toward the door. Tommy watched her go in surprise.

"Wait!" he cried. "Don't leave!"

Freezing, Hayley whirled around to look at him in shock.

"Tommy!" she exclaimed. "Why on earth not? You spent forever convincing me yesterday and this morning that I had to go. I finally agreed to it and called to confirm my place. They're expecting me to participate. And now I'm supposed to call them and tell them I've changed my mind? What am I supposed to do? You need to make up your mind."

She was glaring at him now. Tommy looked at her in surprise for a moment and then laughed.

"Hayley," he said. "I just wanted a goodbye kiss."

"Oh," she said, blushing. "Ummm… Right…"

As he continued to laugh at her, she walked over to the couch to kiss him goodbye.

"Go beat the pants off the other bikers," he grinned as she straightened back up. "And make sure Billy has a camera. I want proof if you make someone cry again."

Hayley glared at him again, but couldn't help but laugh.

"Behave yourself," she scolded gently. "And call me if anything happens. I'll be checking in on you."

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Oliver," Tommy chuckled. "I'll try and keep track of my phone."

"You'd better, Dr. Oliver," Hayley said, rolling her eyes. "Or I'll sick the kids on you."

"I'll call you every night," Tommy promised. "Now get out of here before you're late and miss sign in."

Stooping to give him another quick kiss, Hayley turned and headed toward the door, grabbing a bag off the floor as she went.

"Love you," Tommy said as she opened the door.

"I love you, too," she smiled before slipping out, shutting the door behind her.

The next morning, Tommy woke up late. Stretching, he yawned and rolled over to grab his phone. It was ringing on the bedside table. He glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"Good morning, Anton," he said, stifling another yawn. "What can I do for you?"

"_Good morning," _Anton said. _"I was just calling to check in with you this morning before I head to my meeting."_

"A meeting on a Saturday morning?" Tommy said. "Sounds like a fun way to spend the day."

"_Holding the meeting today leaves me free to spend the rest of the week with Trent getting him ready for school," _Anton answered. _"Do you have any plans for the day?"_

"I do," Tommy said as he sat up. "I slept in—which was wonderful—and now I'm going to take my time getting ready. Then I'm going to eat lunch before I head down to the hotel court yard where I'm going to find a table in the sunshine and work—actually work—until my therapy session and dinner. And that is my plan for the next few days which will give me plenty of time to get caught up. I want to get some new specs on different dig sights to you and possibly draw up some lesson plans for the new school year."

"_Sounds like a wonderful plan," _Anton said. _"Are you still planning on joining the kids Wednesday evening for the Fourth of July activities in the park?"_

"Yes," Tommy confirmed. "I spoke to them about it last night. They're going to come pick me up a few hours beforehand so we can eat dinner before the concert and fireworks. They said something about movies later this week, too, but we'll see."

"_Alright," _Anton said. _"Well, if you don't need anything, then I'll head into my meeting. Enjoy your day."_

"Bye," Tommy said.

Putting the phone into his pocket, Tommy reached over and grabbed his crutches. Maneuvering to his feet, he made a stop by the dresser to get a change of clothes before heading into the bathroom to shower.

Sometime later, Tommy emerged from the bathroom relaxed and ready to eat. Making his way over to the bed, he was looking at the room service menu when there was a knock on the door. Frowning, Tommy glanced up. He wasn't expecting anyone. Sighing, he grabbed the crutches again and headed for the door.

"Who is it?" he asked as he undid the chain.

"It's us!" a familiar voice piped up from the other side of the door.

Tommy opened the door slowly, praying silently that he was imagining things. He wasn't. Kat, Tanya, and Aisha were waiting in the hallway, smiling as he stared at them in surprise.

"Umm… Hi," he said. "What's going on?"

"Jason told us you were out of the hospital," Kat said. "So we came to visit. We're going to help you out this week since you're by yourself. Come on. Let's get you back in bed so you can relax."

Tommy groaned quietly as she took his arm and started pushing him gently toward the bed.

"There goes my week," he muttered.

"Now you lie down and relax," Kat said, getting him to sit on the bed. "We'll go pick you up something to eat. Is there anything specific you want?"

"Want?" Tommy asked. "Yes. Can I have it? Probably not. I was actually just about to order a bowl of mushroom risotto from room service. It's bound to be better than the white rice I was eating at the hospital…"

"Perfect," Kat exclaimed. "One of us will run down and get it for you, alright? We'll eat with you."

Tommy didn't get a chance to argue because Tanya and Aisha were already on their way out the door. Kat continued to fuss over him, getting him lying down and rearranging the pillows.

"Kat," Tommy protested. "I don't need to lay down."

"Nonsense," she said. "You're still recovering and rest is the best medicine. So you just relax until Tanya and Aisha come back with lunch."

Sighing, Tommy let his head fall back against the pillows.

"Now, I will be right back," Kat said, excusing herself. "Don't worry, I won't be long."

She walked away and disappeared into the bathroom. The moment the door closed behind her, Tommy whipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed.

"Stupid pipe," Jason muttered, shifting as he tried to find a better position.

He was at home in the kitchen, lying partially under the sink as he attempted to fix a leak in the plumbing. Tools were scattered around him along with various different parts. The sudden ringing of the cell phone in his pocket startled him and Jason bolted upright, smacking his head on the underside of the sink with a yelp, dropping the wrench he'd been holding with a loud clatter. .

"Agh!" he exclaimed, one hand going to his head as he grabbed the phone with the other. "Hello?"

"_Jason!" _Tommy hissed quietly on the other end of the line. _"You had better get your sorry red butt up here now and fix this before I kill you!"_

Jason frowned, still rubbing his head.

"Fix what?" he asked in confusion.

"_Them!" Tommy exclaimed. "I don't have a lot of time to explain cause I don't know when they'll be back—"_

He suddenly cut off.

"Tommy?" Jason said. "Tommy?"

Glancing at the phone, he realized they'd been disconnected. As he frowned at his phone, Trini walked into the kitchen.

"What happened?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Jason, rubbing his head again, just shrugged.

"I think that was Tommy," he said. "Well, I know it was Tommy—but I'm really not sure what that was about…It was—odd…"

"Well, what did he say?" she asked.

Jason snorted.

"It started with something about getting my 'sorry red butt' up there," he said. "And he started to say something else about 'them' coming back, but he got cut off—so either whoever 'they' are came back or his phone died. Knowing Tommy, it was probably the latter."

Trini frowned.

"'They'?" she repeated. "Who are 'they'?"

Jason shrugged.

"No idea," he said. "But apparently I'm supposed to fix them…"

Trini's eyes widened.

"Jason," she said slowly. "Did you call anyone else about Tommy being released from the hospital?"

"Well, yeah," Jason said. "I've been keeping everyone updated. But I never said we had an invitation back to Reefside."

"What did you say?" she persisted. "Your exact words."

"I don't remember exactly," Jason answered, frowning. "I told them Tommy was out of the hospital, that he was going to be staying in a hotel for the next week, and—oh no."

"What?" Trini asked.

Jason groaned.

"I told Kat that Hayley was going to be out of town for the week," he muttered.

"Jason!" Trini cried. "That's it. We're going up there."

"Wait, what?" Jason said. "But I'm not done with the sink."

"Then call a plumber," Trini said. "It'll be fine for now. The water is off anyways. The Smiths next door will be happy to let them in a keep an eye on them while we're gone."

"But—" Jason started to protest.

Trini was already leaving the room. Mark was now standing in the doorway, watching them.

"Come on, sweetheart," she said. "We're going to pack so we can visit Uncle Tommy."

"Yay!" Mark exclaimed, a smile lighting up his face.

He darted off in the other direction toward the living room. Shaking her head, Trini headed toward the stairs.

"I'm going to pack," she called back to Jason. "Go get the car ready!"

Jason, who had been trying to finish up real quick, sat up and knocked his head again. Eyeing the sink one more time, he sighed. Rubbing his head, he muttered as he climbed to his feet.

"Get the car ready?" he grumbled. "How am I supposed to get the car ready? There's nothing to put in it yet."

Sighing, he walked out of the kitchen.

"Mark!" he called. "Where did you go?"

Not having seen where Mark went, Jason headed off in the other direction, away from the living room.

Tommy stared at the phone in his hand. Apparently he'd forgotten to charge it the night before and it had been closer to dead than he realized. There was also no way he was getting to the phone charger before Kat came out because it was all the way on the other side of the room by the couch. And he had no idea how much Jason had heard.

"Great," he muttered. "I hope he got the message…"

He was still staring at the phone when Kat walked out of the bathroom a moment later. She stopped in surprise seeing Tommy sitting up holding the phone.

"Tommy," she said. "What's wrong?"

"It's dead," he sighed.

"Oh!" Kat said. "Here. I'll charge it."

Before he could protest she took the phone out of his hand and started to walk toward the couch, where the charger was, with it. Tommy groaned, falling back on his pillows. A knock on the door indicated the return of Tanya and Aisha. Kat stopped what she was doing and turned around, slipping the phone into her pocket until she could get it plugged in and going to open the door for them. They bustled in, carrying lunch. Kat immediately returned to Tommy's side, readjusting the pillows so he could lean against them as he ate. Sighing, Tommy silently endured the fussing and took his lunch without protest.

"I'm not going to take a nap," Tommy said, shaking his head. "My physical therapist is going to be here within the hour."

After several hours of the girls fussing over him and being stuck in bed, Tommy was ready for any excuse to get out of the room. He was really hoping his physical therapist would show up early.

"Just a short nap," Kat insisted. "Then you'll be refreshed for you session."

She smiled brightly at him, trying to get him to lie down.

"I'm not tired," Tommy retorted. "I slept in this morning."

"Tommy," Aisha said. "You need all the rest you can get."

He groaned, continuing to resist their insistence on a nap. The room phone ringing interrupted and Tommy snatched if before they could answer for him.

"Hello?" he said, desperately hoping it was Anton or Hayley. "Oh…Alright—yeah. I understand… I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Sighing, Tommy hung up the phone and fell back against the his pillows.

"Who was that?" Tanya asked.

"Jim," Tommy muttered. "My physical therapist…He's not going to make it tonight…"

"Oh," Kat said. "But that means you can take a nap!"

Tommy groaned, pulling a pillow over his face.

By the time dinner was over, Tommy was ready to scream. They hadn't allowed him to do anything all afternoon. They'd even insisted on helping him get to the bathroom. He'd tried getting some work done, but none of the girls let it stay silent for long. He barely got partway through the specs on one dig site when he'd planned on completely finishing at least two that afternoon.

"I shouldn't have begged Hayley to go," he muttered, rubbing a hand across his forehead.

He was currently sitting up, leaning against the backboard with pillows supporting him.

"Tommy," Aisha said, noticing. "Are you alright? Do you have a headache?"

He didn't answer, just shaking his head in response.

"Are you sure?" Kat asked, coming back over to fuss over him again. "I can get you something for it? Did you take your pain medication today?"

"Yes," Tommy said shortly. "I did."

"Oh," Kat said. "Well here. Let me give you a massage."

Tommy looked at her, too surprised to voice an immediate protest. Kat sat down on the bed and scooted closer, reaching up to massage his shoulders.

"Umm… Kat?" Tommy said.

"Yes?" Kat asked, not pausing.

"Please don't," he said.

"Oh," she said, pouting a little as she dropped her hands back in her lap. "Alright…"

A knock on the door caught all of their attention. Tommy hoped it was someone who would remove the three women for a while.

"I've got it," Tanya said, hurrying to answer the door.

She opened it to admit Jason, Trini, and Mark.

"Oh good," Tommy sighed in relief. "It's you."

Jason surveyed the room, taking in the three women who had taken command of the hotel room. They all looked at him in surprise, not having expected to see Jason there at all.

"Hi, Jason," Tanya finally said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here cause I got a phone call," Jason said. "What are you three—well, five—doing here? I'm assuming Rocky and Adam came with you."

"They're at Tommy's house watching Shopia, and helping Ken," Aisha said. "And we're here to help Tommy."

"Hayley left him alone," Kat said. "Remember? He's just gotten out of the hospital, he shouldn't be left alone like this."

Tommy groaned, rubbing a hand across his face again. Jason sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Great," he said. "Now would the three of you please go join Rocky and Adam? I'll be there in—"

He glanced at his watch.

"In one hour to figure out exactly what is going on," he continued. "And, in the meantime, Trini and I will make sure Tommy is comfortable for the night."

Kat started to protest, but Jason held up a hand, silencing her protests. Recognizing that Jason wasn't in a mood to argue about it, the three women headed out of the room, promising to come back the next day. The moment the door closed, Tommy shoved aside the blankets and removed several of the pillows, glaring at Jason.

"What exactly did you tell them?" he asked, grabbing for his crutches.

"Tommy," Trini said as he got himself to his feet. "Do you need me to—"

"No," he said shortly. "I'll get it myself. Jason?"

"I did not tell them they had an invitation to come visit," Jason said. "But they decided since you were out of the hospital and Hayley was gone for the week that you needed someone to help you—or at least that's what I'm assuming."

Tommy, muttering under his breath, reached the couch. But when he reached for the phone charger he found that his phone wasn't there. Kat had never gotten around to plugging it in.

"Great," he snapped. "Just great."

Not wanting to go back to the bed, Tommy sat down on the couch and made himself comfortable.

"Well," Jason said, shifting uncomfortably. "Since we're already here we can give Ken a hand—oh, and we brought you something."

"Did you now," Tommy said drily, setting aside the crutches. Is it a new phone?"

"No," Jason said, setting the bag on the coffee table and starting to dig through it. "Just give me a second. It's some book on paleontology. We got the title from Hayley, but she said it was a book you'd been interested in for a while. There's something from Mark, too."

That caught Tommy's interest. But when Jason pulled the first item out of the bag, he frowned. It was a present wrapped in bright red paper with a sparkly green bow. He shook it in confusion.

"This is awfully light," he said. "And why did you wrap it like this Trini?"

She glanced up from trying to get Mark's coat and shoes off. It had been raining when they arrived, so he was wearing a light rain jacket. But he kept trying to dart off to explore the hotel room, so she was having a hard time getting him to hold still.

"I didn't wrap it," she said. "And that's not real…it's a decoration."

"Oh," Jason said. "Then how did it get in here?"

"I packed it," Mark announced proudly.

Jason smiled, shaking his head as he set aside the empty wrapped box.

"Thank you, Mark," he said, digging back into the bag.

But he still didn't find a book. Instead he pulled out several stuffed animals.

"Umm… Trini," Jason said. "I think you told me to grab the wrong bag. This is Mark's stuff."

She didn't glance up as she was taking off Mark's second rain boot.

"If it was the bag in the backseat it should be the right one," she said absently. "Maybe Mark just stuck a few toys in. There wasn't a whole lot in it to begin with."

"Right," Jason said, sticking his hand back in.

He pulled the next item out and held it up for a moment before he realized what it was. Yelping, he quickly stuffed it back out of sight in the bag. Tommy was staring, eyes wide. Then he burst out laughing.

"What were those?" he sputtered, holding his stomach as he laughed.

"Nothing," Jason said quickly, his face turning red.

"Are you sure?" Tommy said, shaking with laughter. "Cause I'm pretty I saw—"

"You saw nothing," Jason retorted. "Trini!"

"What?" she exclaimed, looking at him.

"What did you pack in here?" he cried as Tommy laughed harder.

Trini looked at the bag and frowned.

"Honey," she said. "That's not the right bag… The one I was talking about was solid yellow—that one has flowers on it…Why? What's in there?"

"Yeah, Jase," Tommy laughed. "What's in there?"

"Nothing!" Jason snapped, looking around for a way to hide the item without Tommy seeing it again.

"Oh, come on, bro," Tommy said. "Might as well admit it. I already saw them."

"You saw nothing!" Jason said again, glaring at Tommy.

"Sure," Tommy snorted. "I didn't see the yellow ranger boxers you just hid back in the bag."

"Shut up, Tommy," Jason growled.

That just made Tommy laugh harder. But Jason reluctantly pulled them back out of the bag, tucking them under the stuffed animals. Trini, who'd given up on Mark's raincoat for a moment, was trying not to laugh, one hand covering her mouth.

"Trini, what were you thinking?" Jason demanded.

"I didn't pack it," she said.

"Then how—Mark," Jason said, realization dawning on him.

"Yes daddy?" Mark said, turning away from the TV stand where he was trying to reach the remote.

"Did you pack this bag?" Jason asked.

"Yep," Mark grinned. "I helped."

Jason groaned and Tommy started laughing even harder. Muttering under his breath, Jason reached into the bag again. Frowning, he pulled his hand out and held up a package of sliced cheese.

"Oh, this is good," he muttered. "And—aww…"

Setting the cheese aside, Jason had reached inside again to pull out a mostly melted ice cream bar, which he promptly deposited in the trash can. Snickering, Tommy tossed him a box of Kleenex so he could wipe off his hand.

"What's next, Jase?" Tommy grinned. "Shampoo?"

Jason glared at him, but pulled out the next item. It was a TV remote covered in melted ice cream goo.

"Great," Jason grumbled. "My remote."

Using some of the tissues, he cleaned it off as best he could. The remote control was followed by a book, which had somehow managed to avoid most of the ice cream drippings.

"No wonder I couldn't find this," Jason said, shaking his head. "I was planning on reading some tonight."

"You read?" Tommy quipped.

Jason glared at him.

"He does occasionally," Trini laughed. "When I can convince him to look at something other than his karate magazines—speaking of…"

Tommy started laughing again because Jason had just pulled out a karate magazine to set with the rest of the pile. It took him a moment to get the next item out, however, as it seemed to be somewhat stuck to the bottom of the bag.

"It's my shoe," Jason said, shaking his head. "But what's all over the bottom of it?"

There was something sticky coating the entire bottom of the shoe. Looking into the bag again, Jason frowned.

"Is that my wrench?" he said, sticking his hand back in. "It's—it's stuck!"

Trini and Tommy watched as Jason turned the bag completely inside out and held it upside down. The wrench, along with what amounted to a handful of change, was completely stuck to the bottom of the bag, which was covered in a hardened, tan goo.

"What is that?" Jason exclaimed. "Mark, what else did you put in here?"

"Candy," Mark grinned. "For later."

Tommy burst out laughing again as Jason grimaced.

"But what—?" Jason groaned, staring at the bag.

"Look at the wrappers, bro," Tommy sputtered.

"What? Oh," Jason said. "It's—aw man…It's caramel…"

"I told you not to bring that caramel home with you," Trini exclaimed.

Tommy was laughing so hard now that he was starting to cry.

"This is great," he laughed. "Better than any present. And it almost makes up for them showing up and invading my personal time—almost."

Jason shot another glare at him before turning to look at Mark.

"Come here, bud," Jason said, still holding the upside down bag.

Mark walked over, a solemn look on his face.

"Thank you for helping pack," Jason said, forcing a smile on to his face.

"Welcome, daddy," Mark said, a smile breaking across his face.

"But next time," Jason continued, "don't pack the food with everything else, ok?"

Mark nodded.

"Why?" he asked.

Jason looked over at Trini, who rolled her eyes.

"Because," she said to Mark. "Food gets its own special bag. Mommy will show you when we get home."

"Oh," he said. "Ok!"

Tommy, still chuckling a little, gestured to Mark.

"Come here, kid," he said. "You're my new favorite. And I've got a secret for you."

"Yay!" Mark said, running over and climbing up on the couch.

Tommy pulled him closer and leaned over, though he still spoke loud enough for Jason and Trini to hear.

"Want to know a packing secret?" Tommy asked.

Mark nodded excitedly.

"Next time you pack daddy's underwear," Tommy grinned, "pack it at the bottom. Ok?"

"Ok!" Mark agreed, grinning.

Jason glared at Tommy over his son's head, but Tommy just laughed, ruffling Mark's hair.

"Trini," Tommy said. "Please tell me you got pictures."

Jason spun around to see Trini holding her phone. She just laughed as he glared at her.

"Oh, I got them," she laughed. "And this one is going on the mantle."

She had just snapped a picture with her phone of Jason standing with the inside out bag, Mark sitting on Tommy's lap in the background.

"Of course it is," Jason grumbled, stalking away.

"Where are you going?" Trini asked.

"To rescue my wrench," Jason muttered.

Tommy and Trini both laughed as he disappeared into the bathroom. Trini excused herself, heading out to the car to get Tommy's present. While she was gone there was a knock on the bedroom door and, before Tommy could grab him, Mark jumped off of Tommy's lap and darted to answer it. Tugging hard, he pulled open the door. Conner and Ethan, standing on the other side of the door, stared in surprise when no one was standing on the other side of the door.

"Since when is this door automatic, Dr. O?" Ethan asked as they stood in the doorway.

"Hi!" Mark exclaimed, his head popping around the door as he tried to keep it open.

"Oh, hey!" Conner grinned. "What's up, little dude? Where did you come from?"

"Visiting Uncle Tommy," Mark answered, letting go of the door.

Conner caught it and he and Ethan stepped into the room. Scooping up Mark, Conner headed straight for the couch where Tommy was sitting, Ethan following.

"Hey, Dr. O," Conner said. "Where'd the kid come from?"

"You didn't have him shipped to you, did you?" Ethan grinned.

"No," Tommy said drily, shaking his head. "Trini's out at the car and Jason is in the bathroom."

Mark, wiggling out of Conner's arms, grabbed one of his stuffed animals and climbed back on to the couch with Tommy.

"I'm the favorite," he announced with a grin.

Tommy chuckled.

"Yes you are," he agreed.

Conner frowned, staring at the pile of stuff on the ground.

"What's all this?" he asked. "Did Jason forget how to pa—"

He froze mid-sentence, something in the pile catching his attention. Reaching down, he grabbed the boxers and held them up in surprise.

"Those are so not Dr. O's," Ethan snickered.

The bathroom door opened and Jason walked out, shaking his head. He'd separated the wrench from the bag, but it was still covered in caramel. Seeing Conner holding up his boxers, Jason let out a strangled cry. Tommy started laughing again as Jason stalked toward Conner.

"Glad you're doing fine, Dr. O!" Conner exclaimed, dropping the boxers and darting around Jason, Ethan hot on his heels. "See ya later!"

Jason made a grab for them, but missed and both boys darted out of the room right past a surprised Trini, who had been about to knock. Walking inside, she glanced back after the boys in surprise.

"If they say one word…" Jason muttered, snatching up the boxers.

Tommy just laughed harder.

"Quite whining, Jason," Trini sighed. "It's not the first embarrassing thing you've experienced and it certainly won't be the last."

"But a red ranger with—with those!" Jason exclaimed. "No one else was supposed to know I had them…"

Tommy was almost crying again, shaking on the couch as he laughed silently.

"Well, they didn't have any red ranger ones," Trini said shortly, pulling a book and a small package out of the bag in her hand. "So deal with it."

Jason continued to mutter under his breath as Trini handed Tommy his presents. He was trying to take even breaths to get the laughter under control.

"This will come in handy," Tommy finally said, glancing at the book before setting it aside. "Now what did you get me, Mark?"

"I made it!" Mark announced proudly.

Smiling, Tommy opened the small box and pulled out a wooden, model dinosaur. It was awkwardly put together and not quite anatomically correct, making it fairly obvious that Mark hand helped put it together. The paint job was also Mark's. The four-year-old had finished by attempting to write 'To: Uncle Tommy From: Mark' on the bottom. It was rough, but Tommy got the idea.

"Thank you, Mark," he smiled. "It's my new favorite. Did you make it all by yourself?"

"Daddy helped with the glue," Mark answered solemnly. "I put it together."

"Yeah," Jason said, shaking his head. "He tried to stick the head on the wrong end…"

Mark pouted in Tommy's lap.

"Don't worry, Mark," Tommy said, giving him a hug. "You're dad just doesn't understand art. I love it."

Mark's face lit up in a smile as he giggled. Jason glared at Tommy.

"Oh, relax Jason," Trini laughed. "If you really want one that's put together the proper way, I'll buy you one of your own."

"Aww…" Tommy smirked. "Jason, are you gonna build me a dinosaur?"

Jason shot another glare at Tommy as he and Trini both burst out laughing, Mark joining them.


	20. Mix-ups

Tommy fumbled with the key to his room for a moment, not wanting to drop his crutches in the hallway. He'd just finished with his physical therapy session for the afternoon and was ready for a shower before getting some work done. When Jim had arrived for the session Tommy had jumped at the chance for a break from the fussing. He'd told the therapist point blank that, unless all of the girls left, he wasn't going to do anything but sit and stare at him. Jim had taken it in stride, shooing the three women away for the duration. Getting the door open, Tommy moved inside.

"Hi, Tommy," Tanya smiled from one of the chairs. "How was therapy?"

She was curled up with a book. Tommy sighed. All three of the women had shown up first thing that morning, somehow having obtained one of the room keys while he wasn't paying attention. After making sure he ate breakfast, they proceeded to straighten up the room, including moving the phone further away to make sure it wouldn't disturb him. He had tried calling Hayley with it last night after Jason and Trini left, but hadn't been able to get the call to go through.

"Hey, Tanya," he said. "I'm getting in the shower."

Before she could offer to help, Tommy grabbed a change of clothes and escaped into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. When he finally emerged a half hour later, Tanya hadn't left the chair. She was completely absorbed in what she was readying. So, before she could insist he lay down, Tommy went straight to the couch and made himself comfortable with a few books and his computer.

"Need anything?" she asked, glancing up from her book. "I could get you something to eat."

"Not right now," Tommy answered, shaking his head.

"Alright, if you're sure…" she said slowly.

"I'm sure," Tommy said. "Thanks."

Frowning slightly, Tanya went back to her book. For the next few hours they sat in relative silence as Tommy worked and Tanya read. Every so often she would ask if he needed anything or if he was hungry. He finally conceded to eating something after she'd asked multiple times, just to make her happy. For a while he felt like he was actually starting to get something done, making Tommy grateful that it was Tanya sitting with him. Out of the three of them, she'd been the quietest in 'taking care' of him. Then the door opened again.

"Tommy!" Kat beamed as she and Aisha walked in. "Time for dinner!"

Tommy sighed. There went getting work done.

"Voicemail again," Hayley muttered, hanging up the phone. "This is getting ridiculous."

Hayley was leaning against her car, having just finished her last heat a short time before. Straightening up, she took another drink of water as she continued to pace around. Her bike was off to one side out of the way.

"Perhaps he has simply misplaced his phone," Billy suggested, watching her pace. "Tommy has been known to do so in the past. It could be that he has been unable to find it."

Hayley sighed, shaking her head.

"But he isn't answering the room phone, either," she said. "I know he said we needed some time apart, but this is too much. The hotel staff said they've barely seen him and when they rang the room they didn't get a response either. Billy, it's been four days since I've heard from him."

Brushing a loose hair out of her face, Hayley took a deep breath.

"Something has to be wrong," she said. "He promised to call me every night and I haven't spoken to him since I left…I'm going to kill him for worrying me like this the instant I get back there…"

"I am concerned, too," Billy said, frowning. "But threatening Tommy from here will not get him to answer the phone."

"I know," Hayley muttered. "But I can't stand this anymore…I'm going home."

"Hayley," Billy said. "Are you sure? It is only Wednesday. You still have two days remaining before the awards ceremony. I am sure if you contact Anton he would be happy to check in with Tommy."

She shook her head in response, moving to load her bike in the car.

"I was here for the races, not the awards," she said. "They can mail them to me if they really want me to have them. I need to make sure Tommy is alright myself. Can you grab the cooler?"

It was mid afternoon by the time Hayley and Billy arrived back in Reefside. Dropping Hayley off at the hotel, Billy headed back to the house. She was planning on staying the night at the hotel. Swinging her bag over her shoulder, Hayley headed inside. Upstairs at the room she pulled out her key and went straight into the room. She found Tommy lying in the bed, banging the back of his head against the wall.

"Tommy!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to knock myself out," he muttered, not looking up.

"Why?" Hayley asked, dropping her back and moving toward the bed.

"Because," Tommy said, glancing up. "Hayley! You're back!"

He reached out for her as she reached the bed. Before she could protest, he pulled her down into a hug.

"What is going on?" she asked, shifting around so she was sitting on his lap. "I haven't heard from you in four days. I was beginning to think something had happened to you!"

"They happened," Tommy grumbled.

Hayley frowned.

"Who happened?" she asked. "I haven't heard anything from anyone. Your phone is dead or off and the room phone must be set to 'do not disturb' because it won't connect."

"Of course it is," Tommy groaned. "Not that I've been able to get to it anyways."

"Tommy," Hayley sighed. "What are you talking about? What is going on?"

"They're back," Tommy mumbled into her shoulder. "All of them—though of course I haven't seen Jason since he got here. Apparently he thinks everything is under control and he can just stay at the house. Things are NOT under control here…"

"Jason?" Hayley said. "What is Jason doing here?"

"I called him," Tommy said. "To come get them because they came back and invaded my hotel room—actually the only ones I haven't seen are Zach and Kim. Well, Ken either. Are they still working on my house?"

"Hold on a moment," Hayley said, frowning. "Are you saying that—"

The door swung open again and Tanya, Kat, and Aisha walked in, laughing and chatting.

"Oh," Hayley said, looking at the three women as they froze in the doorway. "Them."

"Please make them go away," Tommy muttered quietly. "They're driving me insane. I haven't been alone since Saturday morning…"

"I'll handle it," Hayley said, patting his arm absently as she glared at the other three women. "But first you need to let go."

He still had his arms wrapped around her waist. Tommy let go and Hayley stood up, moving to intercept them. Kat was in the lead, Aisha and Tanya behind her. Aisha was carrying three boxes of pizza in her hands.

"Hayley," Kat said. "You're home early."

Hayley crossed her arms.

"Yes, I am," she said shortly. "Because I haven't heard from Tommy in days. Now what are you doing here?"

"We came to take care of Tommy because you left him alone," Kat snapped. "He's still recovering."

"Yes, he is," said Hayley. "He's also mobile now and completely capable of using a phone if he needs help with anything."

"He should be resting," Aisha inserted. "He needs sleep. And he needs to eat. That's why we brought dinner."

She cracked open one of the pizza boxes to show Hayley. The smell of greasy, meaty pizza instantly filled the room. Still sitting on the bed, Tommy, who was still on dietary restrictions, gagged at the smell. Hissing in frustration, Hayley whipped around and grabbed the trashcan, thrusting it at Tommy who threw up in it.

"What are you thinking?" Hayley cried. "He's not allowed to have that!"

"Well, he hasn't been eating," Kat said defensively. "A few pieces wouldn't hurt him and we were hoping it would tempt him to eat more than he has been…"

Hayley scoffed, shaking her head. Behind her, Tommy was still throwing up in the trashcan. Tanya slipped around, helping Tommy up and taking him to the bathroom.

"Tommy never eats much in one sitting," Hayley snapped, her eyes flickering back to watch Tanya with Tommy. "And he rarely eats pizza—and if he does it's veggie, not that."

Before Kat could snap back another reply, the door burst open again.

"Hey, Dr. O!" Conner exclaimed, leading the other teens into the room. "We're here to pick you—oh…"

All four came to an abrupt halt when they saw Hayley facing off with Kat and Aisha, Tommy and Tanya were out of sight in the bathroom.

"Hayley!" Ethan exclaimed. "Umm… is this a bad time?"

"Here," Hayley said as an answer.

Reaching around Kat, Hayley snatched the pizza boxes out of Aisha's hands and thrust them at Conner.

"Dispose of these," she said shortly.

The four teens exchanged looks and then spun, darting out of the room.

"Bye!" Conner exclaimed.

Aisha and Kat watched the kids go in shock, their dinner with them.

"Hayley!" Kat exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Removing the problem," Hayley smirked. "Well, one of them. Still working on the other ones."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Aisha exclaimed.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean," Hayley said, hands on her hips. "Tommy told me you were intelligent. Though I'm starting to think he was wrong—actually, I know he was wrong about one of you."

She gave Kat a look as she spoke. Kat bristled. Eyes wide, Aisha backed out of the fight.

"Not all of us can be a super-genius rocket scientist," Kat snapped. "Being—gifted—doesn't make you better."

"Mmm hmm…" Hayley said. "But at least I finished junior year of college—and I was doing accelerated grad level classes, unlike someone else."

Kat started shaking her head, moving closer to Hayley.

"Maybe I didn't," she snarled. "But I'm not the one stuck running around a rinky-dink shop cleaning up after children. I've done something with my life."

Hayley's eyes narrowed at the insult to her café.

"Oh, yes," she growled. "Because sewing little costumes out of your spare bedroom is doing something. At least I have a business address."

Tanya chose that moment to step out of the bathroom. She stared in surprise at Hayley and Kat, now in each other's faces as they snapped at each other. Aisha was shaking her head, trying to decide what to do.

"And the only business you get is from noisy children," Kat spat. "My business is nationwide. I have people everywhere clamoring for my work."

"Oh, and I don't?" Hayley snapped back. "I still get weekly phone calls from people begging me to work on projects for them. But family and friends are more important to me than fame and fortune—oh, wait. I forgot who I was talking to—"

Aisha and Tanya exclaimed glances. Kat and Hayley looked like they were about to come to blows. Nodding, they decided to intervene.

"And I think we're going to stop this here," Aisha interrupted as Tanya carefully inserted herself between the two. "It's time for you to leave, Hayley."

"Someone needs to leave alright," Hayley growled, turning on Aisha. "But it's not going to be me."

Aisha, determined to break up the fight, ignored her and took Hayley by the arm. She forcefully pulled Hayley toward the door, Tanya coming to help.

"Let go!" Hayley snarled, yanking her arm out of Aisha's grip.

"Just go, Hayley," Kat snapped. "You don't belong here. You never did. It's not like you were ever really one of us anyways."

"And you're too stuck on yourself to realize that the world is bigger than you," Hayley growled, taking a step back toward Kat.

Aisha and Tanya grabbed her again, shoving her back toward the door.

"At least I'm not the one who abandoned Tommy when he needed me," Kat exclaimed.

"And I'm not the one who rejected his proposal, princess," Hayley hissed as Tanya pulled open the door. "I was the one who had to pick up the pieces after you shattered his heart. So who abandoned him again?"

Aisha and Tanya, who had just maneuvered Hayley into the hallway, froze in shock. Kat had never told them about the proposal. Hayley smirked triumphantly at Kat as she tried to come up with a reply.

"I—I…" Kat stammered for a moment. "Ooo…"

Then, striding forward, she reached out and slammed the door in Hayley's face, locking the deadbolt in place. Sighing, she turned around and leaned against the door. Aisha and Tanya were still staring at her in shock.

"Kat," Tanya said. "What is she talking about? What proposal?"

"Oh, never mind," Kat said quickly, shaking her head and moving toward the bathroom. "It's not important. We need to make sure Tommy is alright."

Letting the subject drop for the moment, Aisha and Tanya followed her. Kat tried walking into the bathroom, but found the door locked.

"Tommy?" she said, knocking gently on the door. "Tommy, it's alright. Let us in."

"No," Tommy said from inside.

The girls blinked in surprise at the outright refusal.

"Tommy," Aisha said patiently. "You need to let us in. Hayley's gone now."

There was no answer from inside, but the door stayed locked.

"Please, Tommy?" Tanya said, taking a turn. "Hayley's gone, no one is fighting now—you really should eat something. Please come out."

"No," Tommy said shortly.

The three girls exchanged frustrated looks.

"Tommy, you're acting like a child," Kat said.

"I don't care," he snapped back. "Go away and leave me alone."

They looked at each other in surprise, but none of them moved to leave.

Out in the hallway, Hayley stared at the door in shock for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she whirled around and whipped out her cell phone as she headed for the elevator.

Jason was under the sink in Tommy's bathroom, finishing up the last touches on the bathroom plumbing when his phone went off. Jerking, he hit his head on the underside of the sink again.

"Agh!" he exclaimed, reaching for his phone and glancing at the caller ID. "Hayley! What is it with you and Tommy calling me when I'm halfway under a sink?"

"_I have so many comments I could make to that," _Hayley answered. _"But I have a more pressing issue right now. You need to get over here right now before I do something drastic."_

"Get over where?" Jason asked, frowning as he rubbed his head.

"_The hotel," _she said. _"There is a problem over here that you need to fix. And you have exactly twenty minutes before I handle it myself."_

"Hayley, what's going on?" Jason asked.

"_Oh, I don't know," _she said shortly. _"How about I'm currently locked out of my own hotel room?"_

"What? But why would Tommy—" he started to ask.

"_It wasn't Tommy," _Hayley interrupted. _"But I'll give you a hint. It's yellow and pink and obnoxious all over. It also tried to feed Tommy pizza."_

Climbing to his feet, Jason groaned and headed for the stairs.

"Well mine is here and so is Ken's," he muttered. "And why would they give him pizza? He's not allowed to eat it."

"_I know," _Hayley snapped. _"Apparently they don't get that. And then they kicked me out."_

"Wait," Jason said. "Why didn't Tommy stop them from kicking you out?"

"_Because he was too busy throwing up in the bathroom to protest," _she replied.

Jason groaned.

"Hayley, please don't hurt anyone," he sighed.

"_No promises,"_ she said. _"Seventeen minutes."_

"But it's only been one and half!" Jason exclaimed.

"_I docked points for you annoying me," _she replied.

"Alright, fine," he said. "Gotta go."

Hanging up the phone, Jason bolted down the stairs shouting for Adam and Rocky.

"Get in the car," he ordered when they met him in the hallway. "I'll explain on the way. Hayley is not happy with your wives."

"I thought Hayley was out of town," Adam said, frowning. "She's with—oh."

Billy had just walked in the front door. He paused, looking at them.

"Greetings," he said. "Am I interrupting?"

"Not in the slightest," Jason said, grabbing his keys. "We've got to go stage an intervention. Adam, Rocky, let's go. Trini! You're in charge of the kids!"

Adam and Rocky exchanged glances. Shrugging, they turned and hurried out after Jason, leaving Billy staring after them in confusion.

When they got to the hotel, the three guys practically sprinted inside. Jason had explained the whole thing on the way over and all three were hoping to start a full out fight between the four women. Inside, Hayley was in the lobby, lounging in an armchair.

"Nine minutes," she said casually, glancing at her watch as they rushed past her.

They kept going, not bothering to take the elevator. Reaching Tommy's room, Jason pounded on the door. After a moment, Tanya answered, frowning.

"Jason," she said. "Is something wrong? What are you three doing here?"

"Hayley called," Jason said shortly, moving into the room. "I think it's time you three cleared out for the night."

All three immediately let out an exclamation of protest. Adam and Rocky were hovering in the doorway, not sure what to do yet.

"Hayley is not the boss here," Kat snapped, crossing her arms. "And Tommy isn't feeling good. He shouldn't be left alone."

"He's not feeling good because you three brought pizza in here!" Jason snapped back. "He's still recovering and the meds he's on are making his stomach sensitive. You three are the reason he's throwing up right now!"

"We were just trying to help," Aisha protested. "Hayley didn't have to react like that. She's overstepping the line."

"Tommy needs us," Kat added. "I'm not going anywhere."

Jason sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Ignoring them for a moment, he stepped around the girls and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Tommy," he said, knocking. "Can you please come out here? It's Jason."

"No," Tommy answered. "I'm going to get in the shower and I'm not coming out there until the only one in the room is my redhead."

Taking a deep breath, Jason turned back around instead of arguing.

"Here's what's going to happen," he said, trying to stay calm. "The three of you are coming with us. Hayley is going to stay with Tommy and make sure he's alright. We're going to go back to the house and spend the rest of the evening painting before we go out to the fireworks and relax. Understood?"

All three women immediately started protesting again and Jason glanced back at Rocky and Adam expectantly. Sighing, both of them stepped up.

"Come on, sweetheart," Adam said, wrapping an arm around Tanya's waist. "Let's give Tommy some space for the night. He's not feeling good and just wants to be left alone."

"But—" she started to protest.

But Adam kept his arm firmly in place and started leading her out of the room. Rocky did the same with Aisha, threatening to carry her out if she didn't walk out on her own. Glaring at him, Aisha stalked out of the room. Kat was the only one left, but she wasn't budging. Her arms crossed in front of her, she faced off against Jason.

"It's time to go, Kat," Jason said firmly.

"I'm not leaving," she said fiercely. "Hayley does not have exclusive rights to Tommy and I won't let her walk all over me."

Shaking his head, Jason decided enough was enough. Before Kat could protest, Jason walked up and scooped her up off the ground. She gasped in surprise as he threw her over his shoulder.

"Jason!" she cried, kicking as she tried to get away. "Jason, let me go!"

He didn't pause as he exited the room and headed down the hallway toward the elevator. Hayley passed them partway, pausing to wave smugly at Kat as the pink ranger glared over Jason's shoulder.

"Bye bye," Hayley smirked as the elevator doors closed, hiding the six rangers.

Taking a deep breath, Hayley headed into the room. Walking over to the bathroom door, she tried the handle. It was still locked and the shower was going.

"Tommy," she called softly, knocking on the door. "Are you alright? It's just me now."

"I'll be out in a few minutes," he answered, sounding relieved.

Smiling, Hayley wandered over to the couch and grabbed Tommy's computer. She was scrolling through some of his notes when the bathroom door opened. Using the wall, Tommy started making his way around the room toward her.

"Tommy!" Hayley scolded, leaping up to go help him. "You're not supposed to be walking on your own yet."

"Well, the crutches are over there," he protested, pointing toward the bed. "I can't exactly reach them."

"You could have waited for me," she said, helping him toward the couch. "Now sit down."

He did, pulling her down on to the couch with him.

"I missed you," he said, burying his face in her neck.

"I missed you, too," she said softly.

"No," he said. "I really, really missed you. Please never go away without me again."

Hayley laughed.

"Honey," she said. "I love you, too. But we are going to need some time away from each other once in a while."

"Fine," he muttered. "Just send me out of the country before you leave."

"I could probably arrange that," she smiled. "Now, didn't you have plans with the kids tonight?"

Tommy sighed, leaning back against the couch, his arms still wrapped around her.

"Yeah," he said. "We were supposed to go out for dinner and then out to the fireworks in the park."

"Do you still want to go?" she asked. "I can go, too."

"No," Tommy answered, shaking his head. "It's safer in here. The door locks."

Chuckling, Hayley nodded.

"Alright," she said. "Then how about I call the kids and ask them to bring over some board games? We can spend the evening here and watch the fireworks from the balcony. I think it faces in the right direction."

Tommy nodded.

"Alright," he said. "But where's my bandana? I don't feel like fixing my hair right now…"

"I don't know," Hayley said. "Where did you put it?"

"Who knows?" Tommy grumbled. "They rearranged the entire room. It could be anywhere. Just like my cell phone."

Hayley frowned.

"I forgot about that," she said. "Don't worry. I'll get it back. But as for your bandana…Well, let me up and I'll search for it while I call the kids."

She smiled at Tommy, running a hand through his hair. He hugged her tighter rather than letting go.

"Are you going to let go?" she asked. "Tommy?"

Rolling her eyes, Hayley tried to pry his hands away. It didn't work.

"Tommy," she sighed. "You have to let go."

"I want a kiss first," he said.

"Oh, alright," she smiled, turning to kiss him.

When the six rangers got back to Tommy's house, Kat, Tanya, and Aisha climbed out of the car and stalked inside. It had been a silent car ride, all three women glaring at Jason as he drove.

"Aisha, I'm sorry!" Rocky exclaimed as he followed her into the house. "Please talk to me…"

He'd been trying to get her to talk to him since they left the hotel. But all she'd done was snap at him to leave her alone. Kim and Trini, who were standing in the hallway, looked at them in surprise as the girls stormed into the house.

"Just drop it, Rocky!" Aisha snapped, stalking away with Kat and Tanya.

Rocky sighed, but stopped where he was, letting her go. Adam patted his arm as he passed and the two disappeared into the kitchen. Jason, shutting the door behind him, sighed as he rubbed a hand across his face.

"Everything was so much easier in high school," he muttered. "They respected the color order then—they actually listened. And without arguing for the most part. But now no one listens to me…"

Billy, passing through the hall, stopped and chuckled, shaking his head.

"Jason," he said. "Perhaps that is because in high school you were at least six belts ahead of most of us. We were also dealing with aliens, mutants, and other creatures in situations that were beyond the scope of normal human activities. If we had wished to not follow you any longer, we would have had to mutiny against your command. It is possible that if all of us had joined forces against you we could have been successful."

Jason glowered at Billy, but Trini hurried over and put a hand on his arm before he could snap back a reply.

"And none of us ever considered that," she said firmly, glaring at Billy. "Nor would Zordon have approved anyways."

"I apologize, Jason," Billy said, putting his hands up. "I was merely commenting and did not mean to offend…There is no one who could replace you as our leader—except perhaps Tommy, should he want it. However, I am of the opinion that you are a great leader."

"Not according to them," Jason muttered, glancing in the direction the three women had gone in. "Apparently I'm encouraging the menace that is Hayley…"

Trini frowned.

"I don't really understand the problem they have with her," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, I know Hayley and Kat have a history, but I thought Kat would be happy for them…"

"I don't know," Jason sighed. "But let's finish up. All that's left is to finish putting things away."

Trini smiled and stood on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss.

"Alright," she said. "Lead the way."

Jason chuckled, but headed toward the kitchen to see what was left to do.

Hayley was just finishing up putting things back in order in the hotel room when there was a knock on the door.

"I've got it," she said firmly before Tommy could try and get up.

She glanced out through the peephole quickly, just in case, and then opened the door. Conner, Ethan, Kira, and Trent piled into the room, each holding a stack of board games.

"We're here!" Conner announced, heading straight for the table.

"And we've brought every board game we own," Ethan added. "Except for Trent's. We weren't going to bring a truck…"

Trent rolled his eyes as they all set their piles down on the table.

"Oh, and monopoly," Conner said. "We didn't bring monopoly."

Tommy, eying the pile, shook his head.

"How many games are you planning on playing?" he asked. "And what's wrong with monopoly?"

"Well, we figured after the incident in the hospital it probably wasn't the best choice," Kira said. "And we can't find the racecar piece…"

"Aww… that was my favorite…" Tommy muttered.

"And that's why we didn't bring it," Trent said. "And it isn't like we don't have other games."

"We can see that," Hayley said drily, sitting next to Tommy on the couch. "So what are we playing?"

The four teens exchanged looks.

"We have no idea," Conner said, shrugging.

Rolling her eyes, Hayley reached forward to start sorting through the games as Tommy laughed.

"I can't believe Hayley," Kat muttered, shaking her head.

Kat, Tanya, and Aisha were sitting on the stairs talking while the rest of the rangers were in the kitchen. None of them were happy with Hayley or Jason at that particular moment.

"She was way out of line," Aisha agreed.

"And what was Jason thinking?" Tanya said. "We were doing just fine with Tommy without her. She's the one who left him alone for a week."

"And some of the things she said to Kat," Aisha said, patting Kat on the arm. "Are you sure you're alright, girl?"

Kat sighed, but nodded.

"It really shouldn't surprise me," she said. "I mean, looking back, I think Hayley was always jealous of Tommy and I. Then, when we—well, when we weren't together anymore she jumped at the chance to take over."

"Did he really propose to you, Kat?" Tanya asked softly.

It was silent for a moment, but Kat finally nodded.

"Yeah, he did," she sighed. "But neither of us was really ready for that step so—so we went our separate ways. Things were bad for a while after because of his accident and then losing Zordon, so we never really got a chance to try again… he just, disappeared…"

Aisha and Tanya hugged Kat between them.

"Don't you worry, girl," Aisha said fiercely. "You'll get your chance. Hayley may think she's in charge, but she's going to be in for a rude awakening."

Kat smiled at her friends. Footsteps in the hall caught their attention and they looked up to see Kim coming out of the kitchen toward them.

"Hey," she said. "I just got a call from Hayley. Kat, do you still have Tommy's cell phone?"

Kat frowned, patting her pockets.

"I have my cell," she said. "But I don't—oh. I guess I do…"

She'd just pulled Tommy's cell phone out of her pocket.

"I forgot about that…" she said. "I was wearing these jeans the day we got here—I guess I never did plug this in to charge… Oops."

"That's alright," Kim said. "I'll take it. Hayley asked me to bring it by. She's a little preoccupied right now."

"With what?" Aisha scoffed.

"You know, I'm really not sure," Kim said, shrugging. "It was a little loud in the hotel room when I was talking to her. The only clear thing I heard was something about cheating and a spoon where it shouldn't be—so I'm taking them dinner as a distraction."

Aisha, Kat, and Tanya looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, room keys," Kim said, remembering as she started to turn around. "Hayley says there are three missing. Jason gave me one, so…"

She held out her hand to the three of them expectantly.

"Well, we can just take them back ourselves," Kat said. "In fact, why don't we take dinner for you—"

"No," Kim said firmly, shaking her head. "Hayley said if anyone other than Billy, Ken, or I showed up the door wasn't opening. I guess Tommy isn't in the mood. So, keys?"

Muttering under their breath, Kat and Aisha each handed over a key.

"Thank you!" Kim said, spinning and heading for the front door. "I'll be back in a bit."

The other three women glowered after her, waiting for the front door to close before they said anything else.

"She is just as bad as Hayley," Kat muttered.

"You said it, girl," Aisha said. "And you remember what I told you over the phone a week or so ago?"

Tanya and Kat nodded.

"Have either of you noticed any—signs?" Tanya asked quietly.

"No," Kat said. "But this is really the first time I've seen her since before we left Reefside, so…"

"But if she really is pregnant, there could be a huge problem," Aisha said. "It's just not good timing… or good at all."

"Having a baby that isn't—well, his," Kat said. "This is disastrous…"

"Now, we don't have any proof yet," Tanya cautioned. "We could be completely wrong about this—I mean, there's a chance she isn't even pregnant."

"We'll just have to keep an eye out," Aisha said. "Right?"

The other girls nodded in agreement.

"Dinner is ready," Trini said, making the three of them jump.

She was standing in the hallway, watching them expectantly.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"We'll be there in a few minutes," Tanya said. "Thank you, Trini."

Smiling, Trini turned and disappeared back into the kitchen.

"I think we should call Tommy," Kat said. "I want to make sure he's alright."

"I agree," Aisha said. "He can't be resting properly if there's that much noise going on—you don't think those kids are bothering him again, do you?"

Tanya and Kat shrugged.

"That's what it sounded like," Kat said. "Let's see if Tommy needs anything."

Pulling out her phone, Kat dialed and then turned on the speaker phone. She'd called the room phone since there was no way Tommy's would be charged yet. It rang a few times and then someone answered.

"_Hello?" a boy answered._

The three women frowned. They didn't recognize the voice, and it was also fairly noisy in the background.

"Who is this?" Kat asked.

"_Conner," _he answered.

"Where's Tommy?" she said.

"_Oh, Dr. O is sitting on the couch," _Conner said. _"Did you want to talk to him?"_

"Yes," Kat said shortly.

"_Be right back!" _said Conner.

They heard the sound of the phone being set down. As they waited for someone to come back, the girls listened to what was going on in the room. Several people were arguing about a game. They couldn't hear Tommy's voice, but Hayley's was there and they could also hear voices that had to belong to the teens. And then they heard a knock and the sound of the door opening.

"_Kim's here!" _

"_What did she bring for dinner? It better not be pizza—we had too much of that earlier."_

"_It's not pizza. And here's your phone, Tommy. And the keys for you, Hayley."_

"_Thank you, Kim. Conner who was on the phone?"_

"_Oh! It's—I forgot to ask… But it's for Dr. O."_

"_Well go ask!"_

"_Got it, Hayley!"_

The line crackled again as he picked the phone back up.

"_Who is this?" _Conner asked.

"It's Kat, Tanya, and Aisha," Kat said. "We wanted to talk to Tommy and see if he was alri—"

"_It's Kat, Tanya, and Aisha," _Conner yelled over the noise, interrupting Kat.

"_Hang up!" _they heard Tommy snap in response.

The girls looked at each other in surprise.

"_Sorry," _Conner said, coming back to the phone again. _"I've gotta hang up now. Bye!"_

The phone line went dead.

"Well of all the nerve," Aisha fumed.

"Why would Tommy do that?" Kat frowned.

"Probably because Hayley wanted him to," Aisha muttered. "Come on, girls. Let's get something to eat and then we'll figure out what to do about Hayley and Tommy."

When Kim got back to the house a while later, Trini immediately grabbed her and pulled her into the downstairs bathroom, shutting the door behind them.

"Trini!" Kim exclaimed. "What is going on?"

"Shh…" Trini hissed. "I don't want anyone to hear us."

"What is going on?" Kim repeated more quietly.

Trini took a deep breath, glancing behind Kim before she started talking.

"Ok, so I don't normally do this," she said hurriedly. "But I heard them talking and I had to tells someone or I was going to explode. And I can't tell Jason because he would never be able to stay quiet about this and—"

"Trini," Kim interrupted. "Quiet about what? What did you hear?"

"I think Kat's pregnant," Trini said, her eyes wide.

Kim stared at her in shock for a moment.

"Wait, what?" she said. "Why do you think Kat's pregnant?"

Trini sighed, looking nervously toward the door again.

"Kat, Tanya, and Aisha were talking on the stairs when I came out to tell them it was dinner time," she said. "They didn't see me right away and I heard a little of what they were saying. They were talking about someone being pregnant—and they weren't happy about it. All three of them looked quite stressed about it…and if it was Tanya or Aisha they'd be happy about it. So…"

"Oh," Kim said, shaking her head. "I—I mean…mmm…"

"I know," Trini said. "Poor Kat…Any guesses who the father might be?"

Kim started shaking her head.

"I have no idea," she said. "Oh…"

Both were silent for a moment.

"Well, all of us are here for support," Trini said resolutely. "No matter what, we'll all work through this together. Alright?"

Kim nodded in agreement.

"Alright," she said. "But we should probably get out of here before someone gets suspicious…"

"Right," Trini said, spinning to open the door.

She opened it and came face to face with Aisha, who was raising her hand to knock on the door.

"Oh!" Trini exclaimed. "Umm…Aisha…"

"I saw the light on, so I was going to knock first," Aisha said hesitantly. "Is everything alright?"

"It's great," Kim said quickly. "Trini needed—her zipper was stuck."

Trini quickly nodded, looking a little confused. Aisha looked at them strangely, but didn't argue.

"So everything's alright now?" she asked.

"Of course," Kim exclaimed. "And now we're going to—"

"Go make sure the kitchen is all cleaned up," Trini inserted.

Grabbing Kim's arm, she tugged her down the hallway, leaving Aisha staring after them.

A little while later, Aisha pulled Kat and Tanya off to the side.

"You're never going to believe what I heard," she said quietly.

"What?" Tanya asked.

Aisha glanced around to make sure no one was in the immediate vicinity.

"I heard Trini and Kim talking in the bathroom," she said. "I think they were talking about Kim…"

"Why?" Kat said. "What did they say?"

"That she doesn't know who the father is," Aisha said worriedly.

Kat and Tanya both gasped, their hands flying up to their mouths.

"I know," Aisha said, wringing her hands. "I'm really worried for her…"

"And what about Tommy?" Kat said. "If it's him, how is she going to tell him?"

"Kat's right," Tanya said. "Finding out she's pregnant could really upset him—and he doesn't need that right now…"

"So what do we do?" Aisha said. "She hasn't said anything to anyone yet…"

"We'll just have to make sure we're around when she finally does say something," Kat said firmly. "Because I have a feeling he's going to need all the support he can get."

Nodding in agreement, the three women kept talking quietly.

Jason walked into the kitchen to find Rocky and Adam sitting at the table. Billy and Ken had disappeared somewhere, which probably meant they were down in the lab. He'd seen Kim and Trini going somewhere a short while before and the other three he'd just heard talking in the living room.

"Hey," Jason said as he sat down. "Have Tommy or Hayley said anything—unusual, to either of you?

Rocky and Adam both shook their heads.

"No," Adam said. "Why? Is something going on?"

Jason took a deep breath.

"I heard some of the girls talking just now," he said. "Someone is pregnant—and I'm pretty sure it's Hayley."

Rocky and Adam exchanged surprised looks. But Adam shook his head when Rocky looked like he was going to make a comment.

"Jase, are you sure?" Rocky said instead. "I mean, if they didn't use her name…"

"I'm pretty sure," Jason said. "They said that 'he' would probably be upset when he found out and that he really shouldn't be upset right now. Any of us would be excited—and don't forget the way they were talking about waiting when we were out at the cabin. I don't know if he wants to have a kid yet."

Adam and Rocky exchanged looks again.

"Well, there's not a whole lot we can do right now," Adam said slowly. "We have to wait until one of them tells us…"

"But if Hayley hasn't told Tommy yet," Rocky said.

"Then we wait," Jason sighed. "As much as it's going to kill me, we wait until one of them says something for sure. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Rocky and Adam said.

"Alright," Jason said. "Now that that's taken care of, let's round everyone up. I'll grab Ken and Billy if you two get the girls. We're done for the night, but I want to see if Ken has anything else planned for us before we leave for the fireworks in—twenty minutes."

It didn't take long before they were all gathered back in the kitchen, though some were more reluctant than others. They all waited patiently for Ken to give them instructions, but he was the last one in the kitchen.

"Alright guys," he said, looking around the room. "The house looks great. All of the construction is finally done. All that's left is the finishing touches."

"That's great!" Trini exclaimed as Kim beamed. "What can we do to help?"

"Actually, nothing," Ken answered. "There's some painting left, but not enough that my guys can't handle it. They'll finish that tomorrow and move the furniture in Friday so Tommy can come home Saturday morning."

"He'll be thrilled," Jason grinned.

"Yep," Ken nodded. "But that means it's everyone out until then. I want it to be a complete surprise for Tommy. So that means no one is allowed back in the house until he is. Got it?"

Adam frowned.

"But what about Billy?" he asked. "I thought he was staying here."

"Actually," Billy said. "Since I am back from the trip with Hayley early, I plan to return to Angel Grove until Friday evening. I am going to visit with my father."

"See?" Ken said. "Problem solved. Sorry, Billy. I'd actually forgotten about that…Glad you'd already thought ahead…"

"That's quite alright, Ken," Billy said with a smile. "It will be nice to surprise Tommy on Saturday."

Ken nodded.

"Anyways," he said. "Unless anyone has any questions, it's time to clear out. I'll be out of town until Saturday morning, so if anyone needs me just give me a call. Are we all on the same page?"

Everyone nodded and they all started picking up to leave. While the rest were busy, Kat pulled Tanya and Aisha aside.

"I've got the best idea," Kat said quietly. "To make up for making Tommy mad—though I still don't think it's our fault."

"What is it?" Tanya asked.

"Tomorrow," Kat said, "while everyone is gone. We'll come back here and help Ken's guys decorate the house. We'll make it perfect for Tommy."

"That's a great idea!" Aisha exclaimed. "It'll be the best surprise ever!"

"Then it's agreed," Kat beamed. "Meet back here first thing in the morning."

Aisha and Tanya nodded in agreement as someone outside called for them to hurry up. Sharing smiles, the three women hurried out to the cars to head to the fireworks.


	21. Renovations

"So Ellen tells me you've decided to remain on as the high school science teacher," Anton said.

He and Tommy were sitting in the hotel courtyard at one of the tables. They'd been sitting there for a while now, relaxing and talking in the sunshine. Tommy chuckled, nodding.

"Yeah," he said. "I figured I might as well. It's not like I'm going anywhere—and it'll be so much easier now that no one is trying to kill me."

Anton chuckled.

"I have to admit I'm a bit jealous," Anton said.

Tommy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh," he said. "So you want to be in a classroom everyday teaching high schoolers how not to blow themselves up in a chem lab? Or grading their papers?"

"No," Anton said, shaking his head. "I want you. There's a reason you went straight from being an intern to my partner."

"Ah," Tommy said. "Well, I'm sure Ellen will share me once in a while—I do get vacation occasionally. Unless she is still going to count that two month stretch when I was stuck in morph against me…"

"I think she could be persuaded to let that slide," Anton said drily. "Considering the circumstances."

Tommy laughed, nodding. Then something behind Anton's shoulder caught his attention and he froze.

"Crap," he muttered, looking for his crutches, which had fallen on the ground. "Just great…"

"Tommy?" Anton said, frowning. "Is everything alright?"

"They saw me," Tommy sighed, shaking his head.

Anton glanced over his shoulder to see Kat, Tanya, and Aisha making their way across the courtyard. Kat's foot was apparently bothering her because she was limping more than normal with the walking cast.

"Aren't they your friends?" he asked, looking back at Tommy.

"Yeah, they are," Tommy said, running a hand through his hair. "And I really do like seeing them again—but having all of them here, all the time, is starting to drive me nuts."

Anton nodded in understanding as the three women reached them.

"Tommy!" Kat exclaimed, smiling at him. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he said. "Just talking with a friend."

"Oh," she said, turning to Anton. "Kat Hillard."

She smiled, holding out a hand to shake his.

"Anton Mercer," he said pleasantly, shaking her hand.

"As in Mercer Industries?" Aisha exclaimed.

"The same," Anton nodded.

"Aisha DeSantos," Aisha said. "And this is Tanya Park."

Anton nodded, shaking each of their hands as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

"So, how did you and Tommy meet?" Tanya asked curiously.

"I was an intern on a project," Tommy said. "And then his partner—until he blew me up."

Anton shook his head.

"Must you introduce me like that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're going to scare people away from me. And, to be fair, you blew me up, too."

Tommy smirked.

"Actually," he said. "I didn't blow you up—but you did kidnap me."

Anton sighed, shaking his head.

"You're going to ruin my good name speaking like that," he muttered. "Anyways, it was a pleasure to meet you three ladies, but if you'll excuse us, Tommy and I are going to be late for an appointment if we don't hurry."

Tommy glanced at Anton in confusion, but didn't argue. The three women exchanged disappointed looks.

"What kind of appointment?" Aisha asked. "Will you be gone long?"

"We were hoping to have lunch with you," Kat added hopefully.

"Unfortunately I will be keeping Tommy away for most of the day," Anton said, shaking his head as he stood up. "I have several things I need him to work on—tedious work, but it must get done."

"Oh, alright," Kat sighed. "It was nice to meet you."

"Tommy?" Anton said. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Tommy said. "Just let me grab—oh. Thanks."

He'd started leaning over to grab his crutches, but Tanya beat him to them. Smiling in thanks, Tommy got himself up and started moving toward the car.

"Bye, Tommy," Kat said. "Let us know if you get back early and maybe we can have dinner. We'll be around."

"Sure," Tommy said, nodding as he kept moving toward the car with Anton. "I'll be sure to do that."

Leaving the girls in the courtyard, Anton and Tommy walked out to Anton's limo. Once they were inside with the doors closed, Tommy sighed in relief.

"So, what appointment is it we're going to?" Tommy asked. "I'm grateful to be out, but I wasn't aware of any meetings today."

Anton grinned.

"I thought we could go to the museum," he said. "If you're up for it. There are several displays I would love to have your opinion on. And I happen to know that an extremely comfortable chair has been moved into my office, perfect for sitting in to work in peace and quiet for several hours."

"Sounds great to me," Tommy said. "But I should probably tell Hayley I'm going to be gone."

As Tommy texted Hayley to let her know where he was going to be, Anton told the driver where they were going.

"So, are your friends always so—attentive?" Anton asked after a moment.

"You mean obnoxious?" Tommy said, running a hand through his hair. "No, not usually. I think they're just being a little overprotective right now since it's been so long since they've seen me and then all of a sudden I'm in the hospital… But after not talking to most of them for six years—well, let's just say I love having them back, but not the constant attention. Especially not all of them at one time. It went from none of them talking to me to no one will leave me alone… And somehow everything seems to get out of control so much faster… It's like they egg each other on without ever intending to."

Tommy sighed.

"I can handle them in smaller doses," he continued. "It's the full dose that's driving me nuts right now…It'll be better once I'm back to normal. Then I can just beat up whoever is annoying me. I can't do that right now…"

Anton laughed, shaking his head.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," he said. "It seems to be a common solution—one I've seen Trent and the rest of the kids employ on multiple occasions."

"It's a ranger thing," Tommy shrugged. "So, what displays are we looking at?"

"Tommy!" Hayley called, walking into the hotel room. "Are you ready to go?"

"Just a second!" he yelled from the bathroom.

Sighing, Hayley rolled her eyes and sat down on the end of the bed. It was Friday morning and they were planning to be out for the day. After a few minutes the door to the bathroom opened and Tommy walked out on the crutches.

"Ready," he said, grinning at Hayley.

"Then let's go, slowpoke," she said. "I've got a café to open and a concert to get ready for."

They took the elevator to the lobby and headed out to the car. After helping Tommy into the car, Hayley hopped in the driver's seat and took off toward downtown. When they got to the café, Trent was already there and getting things ready to open for the day.

"Hey, Hayley," he said, glancing up from behind the counter. "Dr. O. Excited to be back here?"

"You have no idea," Tommy said. "I am so sick of staring at the same places for days on end."

Trent grinned.

"Yeah," he said. "Sitting still is not your forte, is it? I'll be glad when you can spar again. I get so much more practice against you than anyone else. Though Jason is fun."

Tommy laughed, moving over to the couch and taking a seat. Hayley glanced at her watch and then flipped the sign on the door to open. It would be a little while before they had a crowd, but that gave them a chance to eat something and relax before any of the students swarmed Tommy. He hadn't been to town since the accident and a lot of his students had been asking after him.

"Have you called Jason yet?" Tommy asked. "Or told the others about the concert?"

"No," Hayley answered, glancing over at him. "I wasn't sure who you wanted here."

Tommy shrugged.

"They can't really drive me too insane here," he said. "Not when it's going to be crowded with teenagers. Besides, there're a certain few people who really should see Kira's performance."

Hayley and Trent exchanged smiles as Tommy pulled out his phone.

"I've got some phone calls to make," he said.

Swallowing a bite of cereal, Jason grabbed his phone out of his pocket as it started ringing. He and Trini were eating breakfast at the hotel, waiting for the rest of the rangers to join them.

"Hello?" he said. "Hey, Tommy. What's up?"

"_Hey, bro," _Tommy said. _"Just wanted to give you a heads up. I'll be at the café all day today since the concert is tonight. Do me a favor and pass that on to the others. Everyone is welcome to come."_

Jason nodded.

"Alright," he said. "I'll pass on the invite. Need any company in the meantime?"

"_No," _Tommy answered. _"Hayley and Trent are here right now and everyone else will join us later. Besides, the café will be full of teenagers by midmorning. Do you really want to spend the day surrounded by them?"_

"Yeah, I'll pass," Jason said, shaking his head. "I'll see you later—Mark!"

Mark has just grabbed Jason's milk and tried pouring more in his cereal, spilling it all over the table in the process.

"Aww…" Jason muttered.

"_What happened?" _Tommy asked.

"Mark just spilled milk all over the table," Jason grumbled.

Tommy chuckled.

"Oh, laugh it up, bro," Jason said as he helped Trini mop up the milk. "You'll be dealing with it soon enough yourself. And I'm going to laugh hysterically if you have twins."

"_You're going to be waiting a while for that, bro," _Tommy said.

"Maybe sooner than you think," Jason retorted.

"_Uh huh…" _Tommy said slowly. _"Anyways, good luck with the milk. I'll see you guys tonight."_

Hanging up, Jason chuckled and stood up to throw away a handful of wet napkins.

"I really don't know how he does it sometimes," he said, looking at Trini. "He can't stand a few grown women fussing over him, but a café full of noisy teenagers? No problem."

Trini shrugged, smiling as she took another bite of her waffle.

"That's Tommy for you," she said. "He doesn't always make sense."

Laughing, Jason went back to his breakfast.

"Are they coming?" Hayley asked as Tommy hung up the phone.

"I hope so," Tommy said. "I told Jason everyone was welcome. He'll pass on the news. Though I should probably call Zach now. If I don't he won't make it from L.A. in time."

Hayley nodded in agreement as Tommy put the phone to his ear again. He waited a moment for Zach to answer.

"Hey, Zach," Tommy said once he had picked up. "How's it going?"

"_Things are great," _Zach said. _"How's it going in Reefside?"_

"I'm officially out of the hospital," Tommy grinned. "I'm actually calling to invite you back tonight."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.

"Zach?" Tommy said. "Are you still there?"

"_Yeah," _he said slowly. _"Are you sure, man? I mean, what about our deal?"_

Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Zach, I'm inviting you," Tommy said. "Kira's got a concert tonight and I thought you'd like to come. Everyone else is already here anyways…"

"_And I had nothing to do with it!" _Zach exclaimed.

"Zach," Tommy sighed. "I know. Now would you get your butt over here? We're waiting."

"_Alright, alright," _Zach said. _"I'm on my way."_

"Great," Tommy said. "Oh—why don't you bring your pookie with you?"

"_NO!" _Zach exclaimed. _"And you promised."_

"But Zach," Tommy laughed. "Don't you want everyone to meet your schmoopsie poo?"

The line going dead gave Tommy his answer. Chuckling, he stuck his phone back in his pocket. Trent and Hayley were staring at him.

"Tommy," Hayley said. "What—actually. I don't want to know."

He just laughed harder, shaking his head.

By later that evening, Tommy was completely relaxed. The café was full of teens laughing and talking over one another. They'd all been excited to see Tommy, everyone asking the same questions over and over. He'd taken it all in stride, answering each of them with a smile as he laughed with the students. But by the time the concert was approaching, they still hadn't seen any of the rangers. Conner and Ethan had shown up hours before to help with the crazy rush. Then, about twenty minutes before it started, Jason and Trini showed up followed by Zach and Billy. Kim wasn't far behind. Mark was with them, holding Trini's hand.

"Hey guys!" Tommy called, waving to them from the couch.

He'd been in that spot most of the day since it was the most comfortable for him. A few of the students had even helped move it into a better place for the concert. Ethan and Conner were sitting at the counter, talking to Hayley as she got orders ready. Seeing Tommy, Mark ran over and climbed up on the couch with him.

"Find a seat," Tommy said, waving to the chairs as he got Mark settle in his lap. "If you don't claim one soon you'll end up standing in the back."

"Trent!" Zach called, waving as he grabbed a seat. "Smoothie!"

"Hold your horses, Zach," Trent called back. "I've got my hands full!"

He hurried past with a tray of smoothies and some fries, heading for a table full of teenagers. Zach just grinned, making himself comfortable. The other four sat down as well, Kim plopping onto the couch next to Tommy.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm just fine," Tommy answered. "Where's everyone else?"

She shrugged.

"No idea," she said. "I haven't seen Kat, Tanya, or Aisha at all today and the last time I saw Rocky and Adam they were heading for the pool. I thought Adam and Tanya at least would want to be here."

Tommy sighed.

"Well, they're coming one way or another," he muttered, pulling out his phone.

He started texting, smirking as he did so.

"Tommy," Trini said. "What are you telling them?"

"Oh, not much," he said. "Just that I need them at the café ASAP."

Jason snorted.

"Oh, they'll be here quick," he said. "Probably thinking they need to take you back to the hospital."

Tommy shrugged, putting his phone away.

"Hey," he said. "It gets them here."

As the others laughed, Trent came over with another tray of smoothies. He passed them out to a chorus of 'thank yous'. They were all talking and laughing when Tanya, Aisha, and Kat rushed in, followed by Adam and Rocky, who was holding Sophia.

"Tommy!" Kat exclaimed. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Sit down," Tommy said, glancing at his watch.

"What?" Aisha said, looking around. "What's going on?"

"Just sit down," Tommy repeated. "We saved you seats."

He gestured to five seats next to the other rangers.

"But—" Kat started to protest.

"Down in the front row," Zach said. "The concert is about to start."

"What concert?" Tanya said.

Tommy frowned, looking over at Jason.

"Jase, I thought you were going to pass on the invite," he said.

"I did," Jason replied. "I talked to Adam and Rocky hours ago."

"And I sent Tanya a text," Adam said. "I just never got a reply."

She blushed, pulling her phone out to check it.

"Oops," Tanya said. "I guess I didn't hear it…"

"Well, sit down anyways," Tommy insisted. "This is Kira's last performance before the end of the summer. She's been practicing for weeks, so I'm surprising her with you."

Tanya looked uncertainly at Tommy, forcing a smile on her face.

"Oh, great," she said.

Sighing, she leaned over to Adam.

"Wonderful," she muttered. "Another audition…"

Adam shrugged.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," he said quietly. "Let's humor them."

Tommy, knowing full well what they were whispering about, rolled his eyes. Hayley came hurrying over, followed by Trent with a bowl of popcorn, which Zach promptly snatched out of his hands.

"Hey!" Trent protested.

Zach just grinned, so Trent sighed and turned to go back to the kitchen for more.

"Take your seats," Hayley said. "We're about to start."

With some more prodding from those already sitting, the rest of the rangers took their seats as Hayley grabbed the microphone to introduce Kira.

"Alright, everyone," she said, smiling at the crowd. "Last concert of the summer. So everyone put your hands together for our very own, Kira Ford!"

Everyone in the café started cheering and clapping as Kira walked out onto the stage followed by the band. Tanya, Adam, Rocky, Aisha, and Kat clapped, though less enthusiastically than the others. Kira took the microphone from Hayley, who took a seat at the counter.

"Thanks, guys," Kira said with a smile. "I've got a couple of new pieces for you tonight and some old favorites. So let's get started."

She glanced over at Tommy and the others as she put the mic back on the stand. Seeing Tanya and Adam sitting there, she froze for a moment. But Tommy and Hayley just smiled encouragingly. The moment Kira started singing, Tanya and Adam's eyes flew open wide. They hadn't been expecting her to be more than local talent. When they glanced back at Tommy, he just grinned and nodded. By the end of the concert, they were whispering quietly with each other as they watched Kira.

"Thanks everyone!" she said after the last song. "It's been great playing for you and I'll miss—well, I'll miss most of you."

The crowd laughed as she set her guitar down on the stand and made her way off stage. Making a beeline through the crowd, Kira headed straight for Tommy and the other rangers.

"You were great tonight, Kira," Hayley said, stopping her as she passed. "I'm going to miss your concerts."

"Thanks, Hayley," Kira smiled, giving her a hug.

"Now go on," Hayley said, shooing her. "There are some more people waiting to talk to you."

Kira grinned, spinning and heading toward the couch Tommy was on.

"Great job," he said as she came hurrying over. "Best concert to date."

The others were smiling, nodding in agreement.

"Thanks, Dr. O!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you got them to come! And they listened to the whole thing—oh my gosh I was so nervous… but I made it through the whole thing—do you think they liked the concert? I mean—ooo…"

Tommy laughed, nodding behind her.

"Why don't you ask them?" he grinned. "What do you think Adam? Tanya?"

Kira spun around, her eyes wide as she realized they were standing right behind her.

"I think we need to talk about a demo," Adam said, smiling at Kira. "What do you think, Tanya?"

"I think you were wonderful, Kira," Tanya said. "We would love to have you at the studio."

Practically bouncing in excitement, Kira spun back around.

"They want to do a demo!" she cried. "Thank you so much, Dr. O! This is the best present ever!"

Leaning over, she gave him a hug. Tommy hugged her back, glad to see her so excited.

"Just remember our deal," he said as she straightened up. "You've got to keep taking classes. And keep those grades up. School comes first."

"I will," Kira reassured him, glancing back at Adam and Tanya. "I'm already signed up for classes online and my books will be here any day. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," Tommy said. "Besides, Adam would let me know the minute you started falling behind."

Adam nodded in agreement.

"We'll talk more in a little while," Adam said. "As I think there are more people who want to talk to you right now."

"Alright," Kira agreed. "Thank you so much!"

The rest of the rangers crowded in, congratulating her. Trent put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. Conner and Ethan, exchanging glances, came from either side and caught her in a surprise group hug. She let out a squeak as the others laughed.

"Here we are," Hayley said, glancing over at Tommy. "You're finally home."

He smiled at her, a relieved look on his face as they stopped in front of the house. It was Saturday afternoon and the rest of the rangers were already there, their cars out front as they waited. Tommy was supposed to be the first one inside. Parking, Hayley hopped out and hurried around to help him out of the car.

"I am so glad to be home," he muttered, heading toward the front door.

Pausing at the door, Tommy balanced on his crutches as he reached to unlock it. Sticking the key back in his pocket, he pushed open the door and started to walk inside. But Mark darted past him, laughing.

"Whoa!" Tommy said, shifting out of the way as best he could.

"Someday you're going to be getting that a lot," Jason commented behind him, grinning. "Maybe sooner than you think."

"Umm… I don't think so, Jase," Tommy said, shaking his head.

As Jason chuckled behind him, Tommy walked into the house. The rest of the rangers followed, Kat, Tanya, and Aisha bringing up the rear. They were smiling at each other in excitement. Reaching over, Tommy flicked on the lights. He stared around, a look of shock and horror on his face as he walked a few more steps in.

"What happened?" he sputtered, turning to look at Ken.

Ken's eyes were wide as he looked around. When the group reached the door to the living room, Tommy let out a strangled cry.

"I have no idea," Ken said, shaking his head. "This was not part of my plan."

The interior of the house looked nothing like it had the last time any of the rangers had set foot in the house. Walls that had been painted in neutral shades before were now painted in greens, reds, and white. The furniture they could see was over the top and out of place and most of the decorations looked like they had come from someone's hunting lodge.

"My house," Tommy muttered, shaking his head.

"What happened?" Hayley exclaimed, spinning to glare at Ken and the others. "Who is responsible for this?"

Ken started shaking his head again.

"This was not in the plan I left," he protested. "I swear."

"Oh, we changed that," Kat said, beaming. "What do you think, Tommy? Isn't it wonderful?"

Everyone turned to look at Kat, Aisha, and Tanya in surprise.

"We wanted to surprise you," Aisha said. "And it's so much more masculine this way."

Tommy didn't say a word. He was still in shock, shaking his head as he stared around. The sound of a door down the hall and then footsteps drew some of their attention.

"Umm… Hayley?" Ethan said as the kids came hurrying from Tommy's office. "I think someone screwed something up in Dr. O's office…Either that or they replaced it with someone else's. I mean—umm… what is that?"

He pointed toward the floor of the living room.

"I don't know," Conner said. "But it has teeth…"

"It's a bearskin rug," Kat said defensively. "And it's a very masculine thing to have."

"Sure," Ethan snickered. "If you're a wild game hunter."

"And why did you take all of the books out of Dr. O's office?" Trent asked. "It's practically empty in there…"

That caught Tommy's attention. His head whipped around to look at Trent.

"What?" Tommy exclaimed. "My books are gone? Where are they? And—oh no. Hayley. Where are my fossils?"

He was spinning in a circle now as best he could, trying to find something he recognized. Hayley took him by the shoulders, getting him to stop.

"Tommy, breathe," she said. "You need to relax, ok? We're going to get this fixed, right?"

She directed the last part at Ken, glaring at him.

"Oh, we're getting it fixed," he said shortly.

"Good," Hayley said. "And while the lot of you fix the house, I want the four of you to find everything of Tommy's that is missing."

She looked at the four kids, who immediately nodded.

"Ethan," she said. "You know where to find the lists and how to track everything if necessary. Trent—call your dad to help with the fossils."

He gave her a thumbs up, the phone already to his ear.

"Now Tommy," she said, taking his arm and starting to guide him toward the door. "We're going to go find a hotel for a couple of days and by time we get back everything will be the way it's supposed to be."

"But my fossils!" he protested again.

"The kids are going to look for them," she said reassuringly.

He groaned.

"Don't worry," she said. "Anton is going to help them. Now out you go."

Getting him out the door, she paused to glare back at the rangers.

"We will be back in two days," she said shortly. "That's how long you have to fix this mess before I really get angry. Tommy and I are going to go to a hotel until then—and no, I won't tell you where. So fix this!"

Stalking out the door, she shut it firmly behind her. The moment the door was closed, Kira whirled to look at Kat, Tanya, and Aisha.

"What did you do with Dr. O's fossils?" she asked.

"Well, most of them looked like they were just replicas," Tanya said, wringing her hands. "So we—well, we donated them to a second hand shop…"

Kira winced, glancing at Trent who was relaying the information to his dad.

"Conner, go get the car," she said. "Ethan, do you have the list yet?"

"Almost done," Ethan answered as Conner darted out the door. "I'll be ready by the time he pulls up."

Kira nodded and started towing him out of the door as he typed on his phone. She paused, turning around.

"Billy, wanna help?" she asked.

"Of course," he answered.

He followed her outside. The door shut behind them and the rest of the rangers turned to look at Ken. Kat, Tanya, and Aisha were all looking extremely put out, having expected a better reaction.

"Alright," Ken said, taking charge. "This is how this is going to work—and there is not going to be any arguing. Kat, Tanya, and Aisha—grab paintbrushes and primer and start painting. All of these walls need to be done tonight."

They started to protest, but Jason silenced them with a glare and they stalked out of the room.

"Rocky and Adam," Ken continued. "You two need to get rid of this—furniture. I don't care where it goes right now, it just needs to go."

They nodded, heading into the living room to start moving things out. Rocky left Sophia with Trini and Mark. Taking a deep breath, Ken turned to look at Kim.

"Kim," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I am going to tell you something I have never told you before. Go shopping. And take Trini with you. We need everything delivered by tomorrow afternoon."

"We're on it," she said. "Trini, let's grab the car seats. We'll take the kids, too."

Kids in tow, they darted out the door.

"What about me?" Zach asked, still standing in the hallway. "And the two of you?"

"You text Hayley for a list of Tommy's books," Ken said. "I'm assuming they're still up in the attic, but you can double check with Hayley. I'll send some guys to help you move them in a little while."

Zach nodded and pulled out his phone, heading toward the office as he texted.

"Jason, you're driving," Ken finished up, pulling out his own phone. "We're going to get paint. But I've got some phone calls to make about how on earth this happened."

Muttering to himself, Zach finally found the light up in the attic. He froze in shock at the amount of boxes.

"These had better not all be books," he grumbled.

Sighing, he pulled out his phone to text Hayley.

**Hayley, how many boxes of books are we talking?**

Attaching a picture of the boxes, he sent the text. While he waited, he started poking around in some of the boxes. After a few minutes he got a text back.

**Just the twenty-ish boxes in the front. I've attached a list of all of Tommy's books as well as mine. Just make sure they're all in there. **

Zach frowned and pulled up the list. He was going through it when his phone went off again. It was another text from Hayley.

**Oh. Please make sure Tommy's books are put back in order—it's really the only good way to keep track of them all. Thanks!**

"What order?" Zach exclaimed, shaking his head.

Sending the question to Hayley, Zach started pulling some of the boxes closer to the exit so they could be moved downstairs. He'd just set down a box when the phone started ringing.

"Hello?" he said, answering.

"_Zach," _Hayley sighed. _"The order is the same as the list I sent you. Start from the bookshelf on the left side of the room and go top to bottom and then start again on the next shelf. Ok?"_

"Oh, ok," he said. "I think I can handle that. What about yours?"

"_I'll leave that up to you," _she said. _"I'm generally less concerned about where mine are."_

"Alright," Zach said. "Thanks. Bye."

Putting his phone away, Zach headed back downstairs to look for help with the boxes.

"Jason," Kat said, catching his attention as he passed the living room. "Is it time to go home yet?"

The rangers had worked all afternoon, only stopping to eat a quick dinner. There had been a lot of work to do in that short time. All of the walls had to be primed so they could be repainted, which meant moving anything in the way, including anything that was actually staying in the house. Kim and Trini hadn't come back to the house after shopping. After finishing at the store and making sure everything would be delivered the next day, they'd gone back to the hotel with Mark and Sophia to keep them out of the way. The teens had been coming and going all afternoon, disappearing with armfuls of fossils and other things that had to be rescued. They'd taken everything up to the guest bedroom because one of the missing items had been the model that opened the lab door, which meant they couldn't get inside from the house until Hayley reconnected it. Adam and Rocky had removed all of the unnecessary furniture and were helping the girls with painting while Jason and Ken floated from job to job, just making sure everything was getting done correctly.

"Are you done priming?" he asked, frowning as he glanced into the room.

"No," Aisha said. "But it's midnight!"

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the three women. They were all covered in large splashes of white, which made him glad they'd laid down plastic around the rooms. It looked as though they'd gotten into a paint fight.

"And all of the priming has to be done tonight," he said firmly. "We're going to start painting first thing in the morning. That's got to be done by time the furniture gets here tomorrow afternoon. So keep going. It looks like you're almost done."

Turning, Jason kept going to check on Rocky and Adam as the girls sighed and went back to painting.

The next morning, almost everyone was yawning as they stumbled into the house. They'd finally left around 2am. Jason had handled the wake-up calls that morning himself. Conner, Ethan, Kira, and Trent were already in the kitchen, yawning as waited for the rest of the rangers. They'd gone home earlier than the older rangers, but they'd still had a pretty late night trying to make sure they had everything.

"So what's the plan today?" Ethan asked, yawning.

"Lots of painting," Ken answered. "We'll need everyone working on that."

"But what about Mark and Sophia?" Aisha asked hopefully. "Someone will need to watch them."

"I think the teens can handle that," Ken answered. "Right?"

The teens nodded, grinning at the two little kids.

"Great," Ken said. "Just keep them out of the way. We'll worry about lunch when we get there."

Nodding, the four teens hopped up and headed toward the backyard with the two kids.

"Alright," said Ken. "Everyone else grab a paintbrush and get to work. The paint for each room is already there, so there shouldn't be any confusion. Paint fast because I want it dry before we move furniture in this afternoon, but still make sure it looks nice. Any questions?"

No one said anything. As they started scattering, Jason paused and frowned.

"Where's Zach?" he said, realizing they were missing a ranger.

Ken shrugged.

"I haven't seen him since last night," he said. "We were moving books downstairs. Did he go straight back to the office when we got here?"

"No idea," Jason said. "Guess I'd better go check."

Both men headed back toward Tommy's office. Opening the door, they stopped in surprise. Zach was in the office. He was on the floor draped across several empty cardboard boxes and was fast asleep.

"Zach?" Jason said, walking over and poking at him with his foot. "Zach, wake up. Were you here all night?"

Jerking up, Zach blinked and yawned as he looked up at Jason.

"I got it done," he mumbled. "They're all where they're supposed to be—I had to start over a couple of times because I grabbed the wrong box. And the first time I started on the wrong side of the room…"

Ken and Jason looked around. All of Tommy and Hayley's books were back on the shelf.

"Umm… Zach?" Jason said. "I hate to break it to you—but we still have to actually paint in here. It's primed but…"

Zach groaned.

"But I finished," he protested. "I don' wanna to start over…"

"Don't worry, Zach," Ken chuckled. "We'll get some plastic and cover up the shelves. It'll be just fine."

"Oh, good," he yawned. "I'll be—hmm…"

He blinked sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake himself up.

"Alright, come on," Jason sighed, hauling Zach to his feet. "You're going to take a nap for a few hours up in the guest bedroom. Billy isn't using it and I don't trust you with a paintbrush right now…"

By lunchtime they had most of the rooms painted, leaving just the hallway and the office to finish. When they were done eating, the teens took the kids back outside along with some extra paint and a bunch of paper. They were going to paint pictures for Tommy and Hayley while the paint inside dried. By the time Jason came out to check on them, there was paint everywhere. Even Billy, who had been out there to supervise, was covered in paint.

"Looks like you guys are having fun," he said. "Are you painting pictures or yourselves?"

"A little of both," Ethan answered. "Wanna join?"

"How about I just get a picture of you guys?" Jason countered. "Everyone together. I think that'll help cheer Tommy up."

"As long as he knows we're painting pictures and not the house," Kira said.

Jason chuckled as they shifted together for a picture. Conner grabbed Mark, who was waving around a paintbrush and the others gathered around them. Ethan was to Conner's right. Billy was next to him. Kira took Conner's left, holding Sophia, while Trent stood on the other side of her.

"Everyone smile," Jason said, holding up his phone to take the picture.

Just before he snapped the picture, Ethan whipped out a paintbrush he'd been holding behind his back and painted a large streak of blue paint down Conner's face. Conner froze in shock as the picture snapped. Looking at the actual picture, Jason started laughing. Mark, standing in front of Conner, was laughing and waving at the camera, paint streaked all over him. Kira was getting Sophia to wave at the camera, both of them smiling with yellow and white paint on their faces and on their clothes. Trent was smiling next to them, a large splatter of green paint on his shirt. Billy was laughing at Ethan and Conner, large splotches of blue paint all over his shirt and arms. Ethan was laughing hysterically, a paintbrush in hand and blue paint all over him. The look on Conner's face was complete shock. There was a large streak of blue paint down half of his face that was starting to drip onto his shirt.

"Oh, I'm definitely sending that straight to Tommy," Jason snickered. "Wonder what he thinks of the color blue? And he's going to have lots of these soon, all over the walls and fridge."

Conner was now chasing Ethan around the yard, the bucket of red paint in his hand, as the others laughed. Kira and Trent caught Jason's comment, exchanging confused glances. Deciding to make his escape before a full on paint fight started, Jason headed into the house.

"Make sure you hose yourselves down before you come inside!" he yelled behind him.

"Ready to try again?" Hayley asked as she parked in front of the house.

Tommy sighed, nodding.

"If it's not right this time," he said. "Then I'm going to go redecorate Ken's house…Or maybe I'll pick someone else's."

Laughing, Hayley helped him out of the car and they headed inside. Tommy sighed in relief when he saw what it looked like now.

"Now this I'm ok with," he said, looking around.

The walls had all been repainted in neutral earth tones, a few touches of blacks scattered throughout. All of the over-the-top furniture was gone, replaced by simpler pieces. Kim and Trini had also picked out drapes in a deep red to go in the living room. Hayley smiled as she looked around with Tommy, the rangers waiting in the kitchen for his reaction.

"Yes," she agreed. "This is much better."

"Plus it has great retail value," Jason grinned. "You know, in case you ever feel like upgrading."

"Yeah, I'm not even going to talk about that right now," Tommy muttered, shooting a glare at Jason.

Walking into the living room, Tommy walked straight over to the couch and sat down. Letting his crutches fall on the floor, he fell backward on the couch and stretched out.

"Hey Dr. O!" Conner said as he and Ethan walked in. "We fixed your house!"

Hayley raised an eyebrow at them.

"Ok, so all we did was find stuff and watch the kids," Conner muttered. "But it helped."

"It looks great, guys," Tommy said, looking over at them. "Now I've got a job for you."

Conner and Ethan exchanged looks as Tommy reached into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet for a moment and held something up.

"Now," he said. "I've got eighty bucks here for you to divide up as you see fit—if you get everyone over the age of twenty out of the house. The only people I want to see when I wake up from my nap are people who belong here."

Hayley started laughing.

"Oh, this will be fun," she said, heading toward the kitchen.

"Define who belongs here," Ethan said as Tommy waited for an answer. "Do we belong here?"

"That all depends on how well you defend the territory," Tommy yawned. "Because all I want right now is to relax and take a nap in my own house. That means everyone needs to go home."

The two boys shrugged and Conner darted forward to grab the bribe out of Tommy's hand.

"We're on it!" he said.

Both of them turned and sped out of the living room toward the kitchen. Hayley was already there, sitting at the table with Mark and Sophia. The rangers were all lounging, waiting for Tommy to come in. Ethan and Conner glanced at the rangers and then at each other, having a silent conversation about where to start. Nodding, they came to an agreement. Without saying a word, Conner grabbed Kim and Kat each by the arm while Ethan grabbed Tanya and Aisha. They started hauling the shocked women toward the front door, Conner steadying Kat when she stumbled with her walking cast.

"What are you two doing?" Kim exclaimed as they were escorted toward the porch.

"Let go!" Kat cried, trying to tug her arm away from Conner.

"Dr. O wants some peace and quiet," Conner answered, letting go of Kat just long enough to open the front door. "So that means everyone gets to leave now."

With the walking cast still on her foot, Kat wasn't moving very fast. So Conner got Kim out the door and then spun to grab Kat again while Ethan put Aisha and Tanya outside.

"This is ridiculous!" Aisha exclaimed, trying to walk around the boys.

But Ethan just grinned and shut the door, locking it, muffling the protests of the women outside. When they turned around, the rest of the rangers had followed them out into the hallway. Jason, Zach, Rocky, Adam, and Trini were staring at them in surprise. Ken was there, too, chuckling as he shook his head.

"I'm guessing Tommy wants the house cleared?" he said, looking at Ethan and Conner.

"You got it," Ethan answered.

"Alright," Ken said with a shrug. "Why don't you two come with me and calm down your wives?"

Stepping behind Rocky and Adam, he started pushing them toward the door. When Rocky started to protest, Conner and Ethan joined in. Ken waved before they shut the door again. That left Jason, Zach, and Trini.

"So are you three gonna come quietly?" Conner asked.

Jason crossed his arms and didn't move. Zach glanced at Jason and then toward the living room before looking back at the boys.

"I'm out of here," he said. "Jase, let's go."

"I'm not going," Jason said.

Conner and Ethan shrugged. After another brief, silent conversation, Ethan darted forward and grabbed Trini, who squeaked in protest as he pushed her toward the door. Conner grabbed Jason and started trying to push him. Zach started helping after a moment. After Ethan got Trini out the door, he turned to help Zach and Conner with Jason. It took a minute, but they finally got him out the door, Zach laughing the whole time. As Conner shut the door in Jason's face, he saw Billy standing on the porch looking very surprised.

"Umm…Billy's back from the store," he said.

Ethan frowned.

"Just a sec," he said.

Darting over to the living room, Ethan poked his head in.

"Does Billy belong here?" he asked.

"Considering most of his things are in the guest room," Tommy answered without opening his eyes. "Yes."

"Ok," Ethan said.

Spinning around, he ran back to the front door and nodded to Conner. Whipping the front door open, Conner darted outside and grabbed Billy. Before any of the other rangers could react, he pulled Billy inside and Ethan slammed the door again.

"Don't manhandle my guests!" Tommy yelled from the living room.

"Whoops," Conner said. "Sorry, Billy."

"That's quite alright," Billy said, glancing back at the door. "May I enquire as to what is happening?"

"Dr. O wants peace and quiet," Ethan said.

Billy nodded and started walking toward the kitchen.

Outside, the rangers were loudly protesting. Jason started pounding on the door trying to get someone to open up. Rocky had just left to try the backdoor.

"What are those kids thinking?" Aisha cried. "They have no right to kick us out."

"Open the door!" Jason demanded.

The windows on either side of the door went up and Conner and Ethan poked their heads out.

"If you guys can't keep it down so Dr. O can nap," Conner said. "We'll be forced to take drastic measures."

"Let us back in," Kat replied.

But the windows just went back down again. The rangers spun when they heard shouting and Rocky came bolting from the backyard.

"There's something back there!" he yelled. "And it's huge!"

"I thought we told you guys to quiet down," Ethan said, sliding the window up again.

"There's a monster in the backyard!" Rocky cried.

"Rocky, relax," Aisha sighed. "It's probably just Tommy's dog."

"But Tommy never said anything about having a dog," Kim pointed out.

Ethan and Conner exchanged looks from the windows.

"Dr. O doesn't have a dog," they snickered.

"Did anything bite you?" Ethan asked.

Rocky's eyes went wider than they had been.

"No!" he exclaimed.

"Then it wasn't Melody," Ethan said. "And he's still conscious, so it wasn't RAM."

"Guess it was Spot," Conner said. "He's probably hungry again."

Without any further explanation, they shut the windows. The rangers were exchanging shocked looks. Ken sighed, shaking his head.

"Guys," he said. "It wasn't a dog. It was—"

"Just a minute, Ken," Jason interrupted. "Let us in!"

He started pounding on the door again as Ken shrugged and headed off the porch to wait. For a moment nothing happened. Then the windows flew up again and they saw a paintball gun emerge from each one. Before the rangers could scatter, Ethan and Conner open fired.

"Agh!" Jason exclaimed, stumbling backward as they kept firing.

Yelping in pain, the rangers scrambled off of the porch and tried to get out of range. But once they were all clear of the porch the shooting stopped and the windows closed again. The only one who had managed to avoid being hit by the paintballs was Ken, who had already been off of the porch.

"Well this is great," Kat muttered, looking down at herself.

Jason shook his head, muttering under his breath.

"Alright, guys," he said. "We're gonna have to try something else. Now, maybe if we head into town we can come around the back way and sneak in through the—"

"Jason," Trini interrupted, looking around. "Where's Mark?"

Jason, along with Rocky and Aisha, froze.

"Sophia!" Aisha cried, looking around in shock.

Taking a deep breath, Jason strode back toward the house and right up to the front door. Rocky wasn't far behind him.

"Give me back my kid!" he yelled, pounding on the door again.

One of the windows went up.

"Whoops, sorry," Ethan said. "Give us a sec."

The window closed again as Jason glared. A couple of minutes later the front door opened and Hayley escorted Mark and Sophia out the door. Each was holding a Popsicle and bouncing in place excitedly.

"Have fun," Hayley smirked, shutting the door and leaving the two little kids with their fathers.

"Ok, they're practically vibrating," Jason muttered as he took Mark's hand and led him away from the house. "Mark, where did you get that Popsicle?"

"Auntie Hayley gave it to me," he smiled, evidence of the Popsicle all over his face. "And she gave us candy and ice cream and she let us try pop."

Jason groaned, crouching down next to Mark. Rocky and Aisha were trying to get Sophia to stay still as the other rangers watched in amusement.

"Did Aunt Hayley say why she gave all of that to you?" he asked.

"Umm…" Mark said, thinking. "She said it was—payback! I like payback."

"Of course you do," Jason sighed. "This is going to be a long car ride…"

"Bu'erfly!" Sophia exclaimed, taking off across the yard.

"Don't go back there!" Rocky yelled, chasing after her.

While they were trying to corral the hyped up kids, another car pulled into the driveway. Trent and Kira climbed out, looking around in surprise.

"What happened to you guys?" Kira asked. "I thought you finished painting yesterday."

"We did," Tanya answered. "Ethan and Conner had paintball guns."

Kira and Trent exchanged glances.

"And now we're locked out, too," Kat added.

"Don't any of you have a key?" Trent asked.

"Someone snatched them when we were pushed out of the house," Jason muttered, turning Mark away from the driveway again.

"Well, we have one," Kira said as she and Trent walked toward the house.

Jason grinned.

"Great," he said, handing Mark off to Trini.

Kira paused while Trent dug out his key. He'd barely unlocked the door when it flew open and Conner and Ethan pulled them into the house, slamming the door in Jason's face again.

"Conner!" Kira exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Dr. O paid us eighty bucks to get them out," he said. "We're working on getting them out of the yard still."

"Oh," Kira said, smirking as she glanced back toward the door. "Give me twenty and I'll get them to go."

She held out a hand expectantly.

"You gotta deliver first," Conner grinned.

"Fine," Kira said. "I'll be right back."

Instead of heading toward the front door, though, she headed out the back. Slipping quietly around the house, Kira waited until everyone was fixated on the kids. And that didn't take long because both of them were running around in circles. Once she was sure no one was watching, Kira stepped silently over to the car parked furthest back in the group. Tommy and Hayley had parked out of the way on the side of the house, which is also where Kira and Trent had parked. All of the rest had parked in a group in front.

"Yes," she muttered quietly when she found it unlocked.

Quietly opening the door, Kira climbed in and quickly shifted the car into neutral. Carefully climbing back out, she glanced around to make sure she still hadn't been noticed. Then she gave the car, which belonged to Kat, a push. With a light slope to the driveway, it didn't take a lot of effort for the car to start rolling backward. Grinning, Kira darted away toward the backyard before anyone saw her. Back inside, Conner and Ethan were laughing so hard they were holding on to the walls and each other. Trent was laughing, too, just not as hard.

"Ok, that was so worth it," Conner snorted, holding out twenty dollars. "They're chasing her car down the driveway right now."

Taking the twenty from Conner, Kira peered out the window. Kat, along with several of the guys, had just managed to stop her car. Trini and Aisha were getting the kids in their cars with the help of the other girls. By the time Hayley came out of the kitchen fifteen minutes later, all of the rangers had cleared out.

"Mission accomplished," Conner grinned as they all turned to face her.

"Good job, guys," she laughed. "Now come get something to eat."

Still laughing, they all trooped in to the kitchen for lunch.


	22. Endings

"Tommy!" Hayley called from down the hall. "Are you going to come eat?"

"I'll be there in a minute!" he called back. "I'm going to try getting a hold of Zach one more time."

Grabbing his phone, Tommy dialed Zach's number and waited patiently as the phone rang. It was a few weeks after the rangers had all left and Tommy was finally inviting them back for a weekend. He'd spoken to several of the others, but no one had gotten a hold of Zach yet. Even Tanya and Adam hadn't seen him for a day or two. They were on break right now, so he hadn't been at daily rehearsals—or around the studio at all.

"_Hello?" _Zach answered.

"Finally," Tommy said. "What is it with you and not answering the phone? Or returning calls?"

"_Sorry," _Zach muttered. _"I left my phone on silent the other day and then it got lost. I just found it in one of my tennis shoes a few hours ago. It was dead so I had to charge it for a while…Haven't really had a chance to respond to much of anything…"_

Tommy frowned.

"But how—?" he started to ask. "Never mind. Anyways, I was actually calling to invite you up in two weeks. I'm having a going-away party for Billy and the kids and want all of you to come up for the weekend."

Zach didn't respond right away.

"Zach?" Tommy said.

"_Umm… Are you sure man?" _Zach asked. _"I mean—do you really want us all up there again?"_

"Zach," Tommy sighed. "I wouldn't invite you if I didn't want you. Yes—I want all of you to come visit. Billy is going to be leaving for Aquitar again and the kids are all heading off to school. It'll be a fun weekend."

"_I don't know," _Zach said suspiciously. _"This doesn't break our deal, does it?"_

"As long as you aren't trying to get everyone to stay longer than invited," Tommy said drily. "Then no. But you could always bring pookie with you—"

"_No!" _Zach exclaimed quickly. _"That's alright. If you want me there, I'll be there. Now when is it again?"_

Chuckling, Tommy repeated all of the details for Zach. Once he was sure Zach knew what was going on, he said goodbye and headed to the kitchen for dinner.

"Yeah, I'll have to come by for a visit once I'm actually able to spar again," Tommy said, leaning back in his chair.

He'd been working in his office when Jason called, so he set it aside for a while to talk to him. Tommy had been on and off the phone with most of the rangers all week as they all made plans to come up for the party that weekend. A few had asked to crash at the house, but once he explained that he still had Billy and that the kids were planning a final sleepover, the other rangers had decided to just get a hotel again.

"_Yeah, you'll have to put Rocky in his place," _Jason said. _"He still won't let us live it down…"_

"Well, let him have his moment," Tommy laughed. "We can take him down later."

Both laughed at the idea.

"_So how are you and Hayley doing?" _Jason asked, switching subjects. _"Making any plans?"_

Tommy frowned.

"Plans for what?" he asked.

"_I don't know," _Jason said. _"Maybe some more construction? Or new additions?"_

"No," Tommy said slowly. "I'm not planning on adding anything else to the house for a while. We've got enough space for us."

"_For the moment," _said Jason. _"But that can change quickly."_

"Uh-huh," Tommy said. "Sure. If someone blows up my house again there is going to be a problem."

"_I'm not helping you rebuild if you do that again," _Jason retorted. _"But I might be convinced for other reasons."_

Tommy sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Jase, you're not making any sense," he said. "And I need to go back to work. I'll talk to you later."

"_Alright," _Jason sighed. _"I'll talk to you later then, bro. I should probably go check on the next class since it starts in a few minutes anyways. Bye."_

Shaking his head, Tommy set down the phone. Jason had been driving him nuts with cryptic comments for the past few weeks, but he'd yet to get a straight answer out of him.

"That's it," Tommy muttered, picking the phone back up. "I'm calling Trini. Maybe she can make some sense of him. Or at least make him stop…"

The phone rang a few times and then Trini answered.

"_Hello?" _she said.

"Hey, Trini," said Tommy. "Got a minute to talk?"

"_Sure," _she answered. _"What's going on?"_

"Is everything alright with Jason?" he asked. "He's been acting really weird."

"_Tommy, Jason always acts weird," _she sighed. _"I learned to live with that a long time ago…"_

"Ok, good point," Tommy conceded. "But he's been acting weirder than normal. Ever since you guys left it seems that every time I talk to him he's hinting at something. He keeps saying things about bigger houses, making room for families, and new additions."

"_I have no idea what he's talking about," _Trini said. _"Is he talking about you?"_

"I thought so at first," Tommy answered. "But now I'm not so sure. I can't get him to flat out answer me, so I'm starting to think he's actually talking about himself. But in a way that he's avoiding it at the same time."

"_I haven't heard anything like that from him," _said Trini.

"Yeah," Tommy sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He paused, taking a deep breath.

"Trini?" he asked.

"_Yes?" _said Trini.

"Are you pregnant again?" he asked.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.

"_How—how did you know?" _Trini finally stammered.

Tommy froze in shock.

"I didn't know for sure, actually," he answered after a brief pause. "It was just a guess from the way Jason was behaving."

"_But I haven't told him yet!" _Trini exclaimed. _"I have an appointment later this week and was going to tell him after…"_

Tommy frowned.

"Well, I guess he figured it out, then," he said.

"_But how?" _Trini asked. _"I had to flat out tell him with Mark. He didn't get any of the hints I tried giving him…"_

"Maybe he's gotten more perceptive since then?" Tommy suggested.

"_Maybe," _Trini said doubtfully.

"Yeah, probably not…" Tommy said, shaking his head. "But he's picked up on something. I'll see if I can't get more answers this weekend."

"_Tommy," _Trini said suddenly. _"Please don't tell anyone yet. Not even Jason, just in case he doesn't actually know. I want to wait until after my appointment…"_

"Of course," Tommy smiled. "Just let me know when I'm clear to talk, alright?"

"_I will," _Trini assured him. _"But I need to go. Something just crashed in the living room and I know it wasn't Jason since he's still at the dojo."_

"Alright," Tommy said. "Oh, and Trini?"

"_Yes?" _she said hesitantly.

"Congratulations," Tommy said.

"_Thanks, Tommy," _Trini said softly.

After hanging up, Tommy took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

"Well," he said to himself, running a hand through his hair. "I wasn't expecting that answer."

Shaking his head, he went back to his research. He wanted to get as much as possible done before the weekend and he had a long ways to go.

"You don't think he'll be mad that we're here, do you?" Tanya said as they waited. "We are quite a bit early…"

Tanya, Kat, and Aisha were waiting on Tommy's porch. Kat had just rung the doorbell. It was the weekend of the party, which was set for later that afternoon. They'd checked into their hotel late the night before. Leaving Sophia with Rocky, the girls had left them and Adam at the hotel so they could offer Tommy help setting up.

"Tommy has always been an early riser," Kat said, shaking her head. "He's bound to be awake. I mean, he used to go for early morning runs all the time. It can't have changed that much."

They waited a few minutes to no answer. Kat was reaching for the doorbell again when the door finally opened. Tommy was standing there, leaning on a cane as he blinked sleepily at them. He was wearing sweatpants and had a bathrobe wrapped around him, though it was hanging open to show he hadn't bothered to put a shirt on.

"What are you three doing here?" he yawned, looking at them in surprise. "It's—it's five-thirty in the morning!"

He'd glanced down the hall at the clock. The three women blushed, ducking their heads.

"We thought you'd be awake already," Kat said.

"So we wanted to know if there was anything we could do to help," Aisha added.

"Help what?" Tommy yawned again.

"Help get set up for the party," Tanya answered.

Tommy sighed, shaking his head as he looked at the clock again.

"Alright," he said. "Fair enough. But you want to know how you can help right now?"

"Of course," Tanya smiled.

"Come back in about four hours," Tommy said. "Ok?"

"Umm… Alright," Kat said slowly. "Sure. No problem."

Tommy smiled, stifling another yawn as he closed the door. The three girls looked at each other trying to decide what they were going to do.

"So what now?" Tanya said, looking around.

"We could always go for a walk," Aisha suggested. "The woods would be amazing this time of day."

Kat and Tanya both looked at her in surprise.

"But what about that thing Rocky ran into?" Kat asked, shaking her head. "I don't want to meet anything mean…"

"Girl, that was probably a chipmunk," Aisha sighed. "I love him, I do, but he's not a woodsman."

"I don't know," Tanya said.

"It'll be fine," Aisha insisted, tugging them both off of the porch. "Come on. Let's take the chance to enjoy the fresh air."

"Let's go get something to eat first," Kat argued. "I'm hungry and the hotel wasn't serving breakfast when we left."

"Oh, alright," Aisha sighed as they went back to the car. "Where do you want to go?"

When the alarm clock went off at 9, Tommy rolled over and turned it off. Yawning, he got up and started getting ready. By nine-thirty, when he had told the girls to be back, he was dressed and in the kitchen eating breakfast. Glancing out the kitchen window, Tommy frowned when he saw their car still parked there.

"Did they ever leave?" he said to himself.

Getting back up, he headed over to the front door. But when he opened it, no one was there. Shrugging, Tommy was starting to shut the door when he heard screaming around the back of the house. Spinning and moving as quickly as he could, Tommy headed for the back door. He pulled it open to see Kat, Tanya, and Aisha bolting out of the woods. They saw him with the door open and ran straight for it. All three crowded around him as he shut the door, Kat grabbing on to his arm. They were all covered in small scratches, leaves and twigs caught in their hair and dirt on their hands and knees as if they had fallen at least once.

"What is going on?" Tommy asked, looking at them in surprise.

"There's something out there!" Tanya cried, looking back at the trees in fear.

"It's been chasing us around," Aisha added, shaking. "We were just on a quiet walk when it came out of nowhere. We tried to get away but we got turned around…"

"We could have been killed!" Kat exclaimed, holding on to him still. "I don't know what it was, but I am certain it was hunting us…"

Tommy sighed, shaking his head.

"RAM," he muttered.

Extricating his arm from Kat's grasp, he gently shoved her down the hallway.

"Come on," he said, herding them toward the kitchen. "I promise. Nothing is going to eat you."

"But there's a monster in your woods!" Tanya said.

"They aren't monsters," Tommy said. "They're—"

A knock on the door interrupted him.

"Go sit down," he said. "Relax for a minute. I'm going to get the door."

But they didn't go sit down. Instead they followed him as he limped to the front door. Pulling the door open, Tommy found himself facing the rest of the rangers.

"Hey guys," he said. "Come on in."

Shifting out of the way, Tommy let them into the house.

"Hey, bro," Jason grinned. "Where's Hayley?"

"At the café," Tommy answered, shutting the door behind them. "She'll be back later. Billy is upstairs showering."

He turned to look at Tanya, Aisha, and Kat as he spoke.

"And I think the three of you should probably get cleaned up, too," he said, jerking his head toward the stairs.

"What happened to you?" Rocky asked in surprise, looking at Aisha.

"That monster in the woods tried to eat us!" she exclaimed tearfully.

"I told you there was something out there," Rocky said.

He wrapped an arm around her, the other one holding Sophia.

"Guys," Tommy sighed, shaking his head. "I already told you. Nothing is going to eat you. They're just—"

"Uncle Tommy!" Mark cried, running for Tommy's legs.

Jason had just put him down. Stooping down a little, Tommy slowed Mark down enough so he wouldn't knock him over.

"Hey, bud," he said, giving him a hug.

Straightening back up, Tommy glanced around.

"Alright," he said. "Aisha, Tanya, and Kat—go get yourselves cleaned up. Everyone else—relax for a bit. We'll decide on lunch once the kids and Hayley get here."

Everyone talking amongst themselves, the rangers scattered to wait.

By the time Hayley and the teens got to the house, everyone was downstairs and enjoying themselves. Most of the group was in the living room talking, but a few had taken over the kitchen and the kids were running around in circles, playing with some toys Tommy had pulled out.

"We're home," Hayley said, popping into the living room. "How's everything going?"

The teens waved as they passed, running to play with Mark and Sophia down the hall.

"Hayley!" Kim exclaimed, hopping up from where she was sitting next to Tommy. "What can I help with?"

"Actually," Hayley smiled. "There's nothing to help with. We aren't setting anything up at all."

"But what about lunch?" Trini asked from one of the armchairs.

"We're getting takeout," Tommy grinned in answer.

"You're not allowed to have takeout, bro," Jason said, shaking his head.

"He is now," said Hayley. "Tommy just got cleared by the doctor yesterday. He's off his dietary restrictions."

A chorus of exclamations went around the room at the news. Hayley disappeared for a moment to get everyone into the living room.

"Alright," Tommy said. "We're having takeout for lunch. I don't care what it is, as long as it isn't pizza."

Everyone was silent, no one wanting to make the decision for everyone else.

"Chinese?" Conner suggested after moment.

"Great," Tommy said, nodding. "Sounds good to me."

"I'll take care of ordering," Hayley said, grabbing a pad of paper. "I need to know what everyone wants."

Hayley wrote down orders as the rangers took turns. Once she was sure everyone had been taken care of, she headed toward the kitchen to place the order and the rangers all went back to what they had been doing.

"Conner?" Hayley called from the kitchen.

"What's up, Hayley?" he asked, pausing by the door.

She was sitting at the table talking with Trini, Billy, and Kim.

"It's almost time to go pick up the food," she said. "Will you go tell Jason? He said he'd go get it."

"Yeah, sure," Conner said. "I think he's down in Dr. O's office."

Heading down the hall, Conner reached to open the door, but paused when he heard Tommy, Jason, and Rocky talking.

"So are you planning anymore expansions, bro?" Jason asked.

"No," Tommy said. "The office is great and I'm glad Ken expanded it, but I'm done with construction for a while."

"Ok then," Jason said. "So I guess you'll be going for a bigger house then. Something with a little more space?"

"I know a few realtors I could get you in contact with," said Rocky. "I've even got their numbers in my phone."

"Rocky," Tommy said drily. "I am not trusting you to find a realtor for me. If anyone besides Hayley or I are looking, it would be Anton I asked. And besides, I won't need someone in this area. Moving means getting closer to a bigger museum—probably out on the east coast. Hayley's parents love that idea, of course."

Conner stood frozen in shock.

"They would," Jason laughed. "Uh-oh. I think I'm supposed to go pick up lunch."

"Better hurry," Tommy said. "Who's going with you?"

"Billy and Ken," Jason answered. "Hopefully it won't take too long."

Hearing them moving inside, Conner darted away.

"Girls, we have got to talk to Tommy," Aisha sighed.

Aisha, Tanya, and Kat were sitting in the backyard watching Mark and Sophia run around.

"Aisha's right," Tanya said softly. "Talking to Kim didn't work. She's still all over him. I mean, she insisted on sitting right next to him earlier."

"Then let's go find him," Kat said. "Today is going to be our best chance. And there's Conner. Maybe he can watch the kids for us."

He'd just wandered out into the backyard, his hands in his pocket as he stared at the ground.

"Conner," Tanya said. "What are you doing right now?"

"Huh?" he said, glancing up briefly. "Oh. Nothing…"

"Great," Aisha said. "Can you keep an eye on Mark and Sophia? Keep them out of the woods?"

"Oh, sure," Conner answered. "I guess…"

"Thanks," Kat smiled.

Turning, the three women headed into the house to see if they could catch Tommy alone.

"Ethan, have you seen Conner?" Hayley asked. "I sent him to find Jason and now I can't find him. And lunch is going to be here soon, so get out of the fridge."

He'd just walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge in search of a snack. Grumbling, he shut the door.

"Last time I saw him was in here," Ethan answered.

Hayley sighed and started to stand up.

"Hey, Billy," Jason said, poking his head in the kitchen. "Are you coming?"

"Affirmative," Billy nodded.

He stood up and headed out of the kitchen.

"Jason," Hayley said. "Have you seen Conner? I sent him to find you and he seems to have disappeared."

Jason shook his head.

"Haven't seen him," he said. "I just realized what time it was."

"I'll go find him, Hayley," Ethan grinned.

Following Jason and Billy out of the kitchen, Ethan headed in the other direction. He ran into Kira and Trent coming from Tommy's office. They'd been in the lab.

"Was Conner down there?" Ethan asked.

"No, why?" Kira said.

"Hayley lost him," Ethan said.

Kira and Trent laughed.

"Have you checked the backyard?" Trent asked as Aisha, Tanya, and Kat came in through the backdoor.

"Not yet," Ethan answered.

Turning, all three headed outside. They found Conner sitting in the grass and staring at the kids as they played.

"Hey man, why'd you disappear?" Ethan asked, plopping down next to him.

"I don't know," Conner sighed, pulling up his knees.

Kira frowned.

"Conner, is everything alright?" she asked, sitting down on his other side.

"Yeah," he muttered.

Kira rolled her eyes.

"Spill," she said. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Conner answered.

"Come on, Conner," Trent said, joining them in the grass. "You can tell us."

He didn't answer for a moment.

"Dr. O and Hayley are moving," he finally said.

"What?" the other three exclaimed in shock.

"You can't be serious," Ethan said. "There's no way they're moving."

"They are," Conner said. "I heard Dr. O talking to Rocky and Jason about it…They were talking about getting a bigger house closer to better museums on the east coast—Rocky was even offering to help Dr. O find a realtor…"

"But why wouldn't they tell us?" Kira said, shaking her head.

"Probably because they didn't want to upset us," said Trent.

They were all sitting and staring at the grass like Conner now.

"But it's better telling us right off the bat," Ethan protested. "I'd rather know then come back from school and find out that they're gone…"

"Yeah," Trent agreed. "Guys, I don't want them to move…"

"But what can we do?" Kira asked. "It sounds like they've already made up their minds…"

"I don't know," Conner said. "I guess nothing…"

All four of them sighed, watching as Mark and Sophia ran screaming past them.

Tommy walked in to the living room to find it empty except for Kat, Tanya, and Aisha. They were sitting on the couch, talking quietly.

"Hey," he said. "Where'd everyone else go? And why does it seem so quiet?"

"Quiet?" Aisha said, raising an eyebrow. "Zach is shouting in the kitchen right now."

Tommy shrugged.

"Something just seems too quiet," he said.

The three women exchanged looks as he turned around and headed back out of the room.

"Tommy," Kat said. "Where are you going?"

"I need to check on something," he answered without stopping.

Tommy limped toward the backyard, his cane in hand. He opened the door and paused, watching the four teens sitting in the grass quietly. Frowning, Tommy stepped outside.

"Hey guys," he called. "Why don't you come inside? Bring Mark and Sophia with you. Jason should be back shortly with lunch."

They all glanced up, nodding in acknowledgement. But they were a lot more subdued than they usually were. Shaking his head, Tommy turned to head back inside and found himself face to face with Kat.

"Umm… What's up?" he asked.

"Tommy, can we talk to you?" she asked. "It's important."

Glancing back over his shoulder briefly, Tommy looked back at Kat and nodded.

"Sure," he said. "What about?"

"Let's go sit down," she said, taking his arm.

Tommy let her lead him back to the living room. He took a seat in an armchair while the three women faced him on the couch.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" he asked.

"Well," Kat said hesitantly. "This isn't easy, but, well—mm…"

"Look," he sighed. "If you wanted to talk to me about this morning, I'm sorry. I really wasn't mad at any of you. It's just that it was one of the few chances I get to sleep in and—well, it felt good. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry."

"Tommy, we didn't want to talk to you about that," Tanya said.

"Oh," said Tommy. "Ok. So what about?"

"Mmm…" Kat said. "Well, Tommy—when two friends are as close as some of us are, things can sometimes get a little out of hand. But that's why we're supposed to set boundaries."

"Uh-huh…" Tommy said, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

"Conner," they heard Hayley say in the hallway. "Here. Eat these. I found them when I was cleaning out your cupboard and they can't stay there."

"Tommy," Aisha said, trying to catch his attention again. "This is important. Overstepping certain lines could really hurt all of us."

"Aisha, what is that supposed to mean?" Tommy asked, still extremely confused.

"We know what's been going on," Tanya said, taking a turn. "And we're sure you never meant it to go this far, but it needs to stop. Someone is going to end up hurt by all of this—it might be too late already to fix things. You understand, right?"

"No, I don't," Tommy said, glancing behind them as he shook his head. "I have no idea what you mean."

Conner had just slipped silently into the room, hugging a box of crackers to his chest. Without saying a word, he dropped into a chair in the corner, still hugging the box. Tommy frowned.

"Tommy, this is important," Kat said. "Please listen to us."

"Yeah, I got it," Tommy said, holding up a hand. "But I can't worry about that many things at one time. Just hold up a minute. Conner?"

The girls turned, surprised to see Conner sitting in the corner.

"Conner, what's going on?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"

Conner's head jerked up and he looked at Tommy in surprise.

"Yeah…" he said, dropping his head again.

Tommy sighed as the other three teens wandered in, still acting extremely subdued.

"What's wrong?" he persisted. "You aren't eating. In fact, you're staring at that box of crackers like it killed your best friend."

"I'm fine," Conner insisted, quickly opening the box.

He grabbed a handful of crackers and proceeded to stuff them in his mouth.

"Uh uh," Tommy said. "That's not going to work. What is going on with you—all of you? You're being too quiet."

They just shook their heads in answer.

"Spill," Tommy said. "Now."

"Dr. O," Conner said. "It's fine. There's nothing—"

"Come on," Tommy interrupted. "Tell me what's going on. You guys are starting to scare me."

The teens exchanged glances as Aisha, Tanya, and Kat rolled their eyes.

"Tommy, just leave them," Kat said. "They said they're fine. And we really need to finish this talk."

"We will," Tommy said, not taking his eyes off of the teens. "As soon as I know what happened. Guys, please. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry!" Conner burst out. "I heard you in the office and I didn't mean to hear but I did and I know you didn't tell us and that I probably wasn't supposed to hear but I did and I didn't mean to and I don't want you to but I want you to be happy but I still don't want it to happen and—"

"Whoa," Tommy said. "Slow down. What are you talking about? What exactly did you hear?"

"I don't want you to move!" Conner wailed. "I want you to stay here so I can come over when I'm home from school and get out of my house and spend time with everyone and have fun and spar once in a while even though I know I'm going to lose and get help with homework because I still can't write papers and I don't want to fail my classes and—"

Tommy held up a hand and Conner stopped, sinking back into the chair again. Kira, Ethan, and Trent had their heads ducked, staring at the floor.

"Conner, why do you think I'm moving?" he asked.

"Cause I heard you talking to Jason and Rocky about it," he said. "You were talking about getting a bigger house on the east coast closer to bigger museums… and you said Hayley's parents were happy about it…"

Tommy sighed, shaking his head.

"Guys, I'm not moving," he said.

"You aren't?" Conner said, perking up a little. "But why were you talking about it, then?"

"Because Jason is an idiot who keeps talking about me getting a bigger house," Tommy said. "I have enough trouble keeping guests out of this one, let alone one with more room."

"But what about the museums?" Kira asked.

"I only mentioned it because it's true," Tommy said. "If I did ever decide to move, I'd want to get closer to some of the big museums. But I'm not moving right now—I don't want to. I mean, we just got our house back together."

"No kidding," Hayley scoffed, walking in. "Besides, I like our house the way it is. Moving would be such a pain."

She'd been standing in the doorway listening. The girls frowned.

"Our house?" Aisha said.

"Yes," Hayley said slowly, pausing next to Tommy's chair. "Our house. Oh, and Jason just pulled in with lunch."

"Great," Tommy grinned, starting to get up. "Finally."

"Tommy!" Kat exclaimed. "How could you?"

Groaning, he sat back down.

"How could I what?" he sighed. "It's food. I want it. He's bringing it in the house."

"Not lunch!" Aisha said.

"Oh, good," Tommy muttered. "But I still don't know what you're talking about."

"You," Kat said. "You're living with Hayley and you're—oh…I can't say it…"

"Say what?" Tommy asked.

The three women exchanged glances.

"You're—" Tanya stammered. "You and—"

"You're sleeping with Kim!" Aisha cried.

Everyone whipped around to stare at them in shock. Tommy sputtered as a squeak came from the doorway. Kim, Trini, and Zach were standing in the doorway, having come to see what was going on. Rocky and Adam had gone outside to help Billy, Ken, and Jason carry food in. The look on Kim's face was one of complete and utter shock.

"I didn't—I never—" she stammered, eyes wide.

Hayley burst out laughing as Tommy continued to shake his head.

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "That's not even possible. Tommy's been in the hospital almost all summer. He hasn't been able to do anything."

"Oh, thanks, honey," Tommy finally got out.

"Well, it's true," Hayley said, crossing her arms.

The four teens started snickering in the corner. Tommy groaned, rubbing a hand across his face.

"Alright," he said. "You four don't need to be here for this conversation."

"But Dr. O," Ethan protested, grinning.

"No," Tommy said firmly. "You don't need to hear about my personal life. Out."

"But—" Conner started to argue.

"Out," Tommy repeated, pointing toward the door. "Go annoy someone else for a while. And take Mark and Sophia with you."

Kira, Trent, and Ethan glanced at each other and grinned.

"Ok," they chorused. "Hey, Conner."

He leapt from the chair as they started singing.

"I love you, you love me…"

"NO!" Conner yelled, covering his ears. "Stop it!"

But they didn't stop, chasing him out of the room, the kids in tow.

"Well, that's one problem solved," Tommy muttered. "Now what are you three talking about?"

"Tommy, we know everything," Kat said. "We've been watching this going on all summer. Since Power Ranger week. And we can't let it go on any longer. You and Kim simply must stop this affair."

"Affair?" Ken said, only hearing the last part as he walked into the living room. "What affair?"

Kim spun around with another squeak.

"They think I'm cheating on you with Tommy," she cried, running over to him. "But I'm not. I promise. I didn't—I'd never—and I—oo…"

Slightly shocked by the outburst, Ken put his arms around Kim and pulled her close, rubbing her back.

"It's alright," he said. "I know. I believe you."

"But we've seen the two of you together," Tanya said. "And heard you."

"And now we find out you're living with Hayley," Kat added.

"And to top it all off, Kim's pregnant and she's not sure who the father is!" Aisha exclaimed

The rest of the guys had started crowding into the living room, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I'm not pregnant!" Kim cried, shaking her head in protest. "Kat's pregnant!"

"I am not!" Kat exclaimed in offense.

"Wait a minute," Rocky interrupted. "So Kim, Kat, and Hayley are pregnant?"

Hayley and Tommy both froze in shock.

"What?" Hayley sputtered as Tommy stared at her. "I am not pregnant! Tommy, I don't know where they got that from, but I'm not."

"Well I would hope not!" Kat exclaimed. "Kim is bad enough, but both of you?"

"I'm not pregnant!" Kim protested again. "And I'm not having an affair with Tommy!"

"You aren't pregnant, Hayley?" Jason asked.

"No!" she said.

"Oh," he muttered.

"Everyone quiet!" Tommy shouted.

The room instantly went silent.

"This is worse than high school kids," he muttered, shaking his head. "Alright, we're going to go back to grade school. I'm going to ask a question and, if it applies to you, I want you to raise your hand. No talking and everyone tells the truth. Got it? Good."

He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair.

"Now," he said, looking around. "Anyone who is cheating on their significant other, please raise your hand."

No one moved. Tommy nodded.

"Good," he said. "See how easy asking questions is? Moving on. Anyone who is actually pregnant, please raise your hand."

He looked pointedly at Trini. She glared back at him for a moment and then sighed and raised her hand slowly. Jason stared in shock. Everyone else looked just as surprised.

"Trini?" Jason said. "You aren't—are you really—I mean—"

She laughed, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Yes, Jason," she said. "We're having another baby. I had an appointment to confirm it a few days ago. This wasn't how I planned on telling you, but—oh well…"

His mouth continued to move wordlessly as he stared at her. Trini smiled, shaking her head. Chuckling, Tommy turned away to talk to the group again. Then he froze.

"Tanya?" he said in surprise.

The rest of the group, minus Jason, turned to look at Tanya. Her hand was in the air, too, and her face turned red as they all looked at her.

"Really?" Adam said. "We are—for real?"

Tanya nodded.

"Uh huh," she said. "I was going to tell you when we got home…"

Grinning, Adam wrapped his arms around Tanya and gave her a hug.

"Now that one I wasn't expecting," Tommy said, shaking his head. "Are we all on the same page now, though? I'm hungry."

"Wait," Aisha said. "But what about everything that happened this summer? I mean—we know you and Kim were alone together a lot. And for longer than maybe you should have been…"

"What do you mean?" Tommy groaned, glancing longingly toward the kitchen.

"Like at the hospital," Tanya said. "I was coming to sit with you and I heard—well, I heard the two of you together. You were complaining about her being all over you…"

"What?" Tommy frowned. "Wait. Do you mean the day Kim tried giving me a haircut?"

"That was funny," Rocky snorted. "The look on your faces when I walked in and caught Kim half draped across the bed trying to use those clippers."

"Oh…" Tanya said, blushing and hiding her face in Adam's shoulder.

"But there was a time at the hotel in Angel Grove, too," Aisha persisted. "Kim was up in your room alone with you for at least an hour."

"Yeah, because she thought hurting me while giving me pain meds was a great idea," Tommy muttered.

"I was giving him a massage," Kim said. "I've got a license since a lot of my gymnasts need them. I may have gone a little overboard making him take his pain medication—"

"May have?" Tommy said.

"Ok, I did," Kim sighed. "But I made up for it. You thanked me for the massage."

"Though that was the last time I asked you to help with that," Hayley said drily.

"Oh, and you!" Kat exclaimed. "What are you thinking? Living with Tommy and going out on dates with Billy?"

Billy started, nearly falling off the arm of the chair he was perched on. Hayley rolled her eyes.

"What nonsense are you talking about now, Kat?" she sighed. "Because this is getting old."

"Your trip together," Kat said, crossing her arms. "Remember?"

"You mean my biking competition?" Hayley said. "Tommy was supposed to go but he wasn't up for it. So Billy kept me company instead."

"And I'm married," Billy added. "My wife would not appreciate the implication that I have been unfaithful to her."

"Oh," Kat blushed. "I guess I forgot about that…But that doesn't excuse Hayley's behavior."

Tommy frowned.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"She's been nothing but controlling since the first time we got back together," Kat said shortly. "I mean, really. She's constantly telling you what to do and trying to control who can be around you—she had Kira slap me the first day we met! That is not alright! Hayley is out of control. And it's starting to make me think she was always that way and that she used our breaking up as an excuse to take over—She's not letting you make your own decisions!"

"Don't," Tommy snapped, interrupting. "Stop right there, Kat. Yes, Hayley does make a lot of decisions regarding us. And you know what? I'm alright with that. She never does anything I'd disagree with and if she tries, I say something. I'm not a pushover. And besides that, she's had every right over the last few months to everything she has done."

"Nothing gives her the right to take over your life!" Kat argued. "What gives her the right to even think she can make decisions like the hospital visits? Or kicking us out of the hotel room?"

"She has every right to do so as my wife," Tommy snapped back. "I was stressed and sick and drugged half the time. That meant she had every right to do what she could to make things easier on me. Including removing you from my rooms."

Tanya, Aisha, and Kat froze.

"You're married?" Kat sputtered. "But—when?"

Hayley raised an eyebrow.

"We've been married since the week before that get together," she said coolly. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes—no—I don't know!" Kat stammered. "But you were just friends! You always said that. Is that why you stopped talking to me after—well, you know. Because that way you could have Tommy all to yourself?"

"How dare you!" Hayley snapped, taking a step forward.

Tommy grabbed her wrist and pulled her backward onto his lap.

"Knock it off, Kat," he growled. "I was the one who went after her. And it took years of asking to get her to stop laughing at me when I asked her out. We didn't even go on an official date until last year. I don't want to hear anything about her manipulating me again. Got it?"

His arms were wrapped around Hayley's waist now. Twisting around, she put her arms around his neck. Aisha and Tanya were looking extremely uncomfortable now, as did just about everyone else in the room. This was not how they'd been planning on enjoying the day. Kat nodded mutely.

"Now," Tommy sighed. "Can we go eat? I'm hungry and there is Chinese in the kitchen."

"But Tommy," Aisha said softly. "Why didn't you tell us you were married?"

He frowned.

"I thought you already knew," he said. "I told Jason to pass on the news. You did tell them, right, Jase? Jason?"

"What?" Jason said, finally snapping out of his surprise over Trini.

"Did you tell everyone about me and Hayley getting married?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jason said. "Well, kind of. Kim and Trini had already figured it out and you two told Billy. But I told Zach and Rocky. He was the only one around at the time, but he was going to tell Aisha and the rest."

Aisha, Tanya, and Kat turned to glare at Rocky.

"Rockford DeSantos!" Aisha exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us? Or at least one of us? Even Adam would have passed on the news faster."

"I actually knew already," Adam said, running a hand over his head. "But when Tommy told me I thought he was still keeping it quiet so I didn't say anything…"

"Fair enough," Aisha sighed. "Now what's your excuse, Rocky?"

"I forgot…" he mumbled. "And then I thought I had, so I didn't say it again… sorry…"

"Can we please go eat lunch now?" Tommy asked, looking around the room.

No one protested, so they all started to get up. But when they heard the back door slam open, everyone froze again.

"Dr. O!" Ethan yelled, skidding to a stop in the doorway. "Dr. O! You're never gonna guess what Conner just did! This is great!"

Tommy frowned.

"What did he do this time?" he asked warily.

"We were running around with the kids and the raptors," Ethan exclaimed, bouncing in place. "And one of them knocked something over, so I yelled for Conner to move and he did."

"Oh no," Tommy said, shaking his head. "Please don't tell me."

"Oh yeah," Ethan grinned.

Hayley sighed, rubbing a hand across her face.

"Wonderful," she sighed.

"It can't be true," Tommy muttered.

"What can't be true?" Adam asked.

"That," Tommy said, pointing to the doorway as a red blur suddenly streaked past.

"What was that?" Zach exclaimed, spinning in surprise at the sudden breeze.

"Conner," Tommy sighed as the blur went past again. "Ethan, please tell me it's just him."

"I don't know," Ethan said. "Somebody hit me!"

The rangers all looked at Ethan in surprise. Zach, who was closest, immediately started shaking his head and backed away.

"Not happening, dude," he said.

"Aww… Come one," Ethan said.

"Ethan," Hayley said.

He ignored her, running over to Rocky.

"Rocky, hit me," he said, holding up his arms.

"I'm not gonna hit you, kid," Rocky said, shaking his head.

"Fine then," Ethan retorted. "I'll ask one of the girls to do it. They probably hit harder anyways."

Rocky glowered at him and stood up.

"You asked for it," he growled.

He swung at Ethan, who promptly blocked with one arm. A blue gleam spread over the place where Rocky's fist hit Ethan's arm.

"Agh!" Rocky exclaimed in pain, shaking his hand as he stumbled backward. "What was that?"

"Not just Conner, Dr. O?" Ethan laughed, turning to Tommy.

Tommy groaned.

"Dr. O?" Trent said, appearing suddenly through the wall. "I think we've got a problem…"

"I noticed," Tommy sighed.

"No, not the abilities," Trent said. "Conner may have just knocked over Kira and—"

A shrill scream echoed through the house from the backyard.

"Never mind," Trent said, turning and disappearing again.

"I'll take care of it," Hayley sighed.

Shooting a glance at Kat, Hayley smirked and gave Tommy a kiss before hopping up. He smiled after her. Kat just glowered.

"Come on, Dr. O!" Ethan crowed. "You gotta try yours!"

"Ethan," Tommy sighed. "I just want to eat lunch…"

"Come on, please?" Ethan begged.

As Tommy shook his head again, Hayley came marching back into the house with the teens and kids in tow. She was scolding Conner and Kira. But the moment they got in the living room, Conner darted over to Tommy.

"We got our powers back!" he exclaimed. "Do you have yours, Dr. O? You've got to try."

"You know what?" Tommy said. "Alright. I'll try."

Suddenly Tommy vanished. Several of the girls let out squeaks as the guys jumped.

"Yes!" Conner exclaimed, punching the air. "We're all back! This is great. Right, Dr. O? Dr. O?"

"Hayley," Ethan said. "Where did he go?"

"Kitchen," Hayley said. "He said he was hungry. So I hope his was on top."

"No, mine was!" Jason cried, leaping up. "Tommy!"

Jason ran out of the room toward the kitchen. Hayley smirked.

"Now as for the four of you," she said, looking at the teens. "Lab. Now."

"But Hayley," Ethan said.

"No protesting," she said, crossing her arms.

Grumbling, all four of them trooped out of the room and toward Tommy's office.

"Lab?" Rocky said. "What lab? There's no lab in this house?"

Hayley paused, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," she said. "I guess we really aren't on the same page. Come on."

She gestured for the rest of the rangers to follow.

"Yes!" Zach said. "Finally we get to see the lab!"

Aisha, Tanya, Kat, Adam, and Rocky exchanged confused glances. Jason stalked past them back into the living room, hunting for Tommy. In the office, the trapdoor leading down to the lab was already open. Billy, Zach, Trini, Ken, and Kim headed straight down the stairs without hesitation. The rest paused for a moment, not sure about what was going on.

"Are you coming or not?" Hayley asked, pausing at the top of the stairs.

Shrugging, Adam followed her and the rest followed him. They all stopped in amazement at the bottom of the stairs, looking around at the newly finished lab. Hayley had upgraded all of the computers and equipment since she had to replace it anyways.

"What is this place?" Aisha asked, staring around in shock.

Then they noticed Tommy lounging in a chair eating out of a to-go container.

"Hey guys," he said. "Where's Jason?"

"Upstairs," Hayley said. "I'm sure he'll be down shortly. Sit down."

She directed the last part at the teens. They all sat down, pulling chairs over to the main computer. Tommy moved closer, too, finishing up the food he was holding. As he sat back down next to the kids, Jason stormed downstairs.

"Tommy!" he exclaimed. "Where's my food?"

"Whoops," Tommy said. "Sorry, bro."

He sheepishly held out the empty container. Glaring at him, Jason snatched it away and stuck it in a trash can.

"Conner," Hayley said. "Will you go get the rest of the food while I get the computer ready for some tests?"

"We can eat down here?" he asked.

"Only if you stay away from my computers," she said.

Grinning, he darted away at super-speed, coming back with loads of food and passing them out to surprised rangers. Not thinking, he handed the last one to Tommy instead of Jason.

"Hey!" Jason exclaimed.

"Whoops," Conner said, stopping and glancing back and forth between Tommy and Jason. "Umm… Sorry, Jason."

Tommy chuckled.

"Here, Jase," he said. "I'm full anyways."

He handed his food to Jason, who took it with another glare.

"Ok," Kat exclaimed suddenly. "I want to know what's going on. How is Conner doing that? And why is there a secret lab under the house?"

"Well we weren't going to keep our base where anyone could find it," Conner said, dropping back into his chair with his food. "And I have no idea why I can move like that again."

"Again?" Tanya said.

"Guys," Tommy said, frowning. "Do you really not realize what this is?"

They shook their heads.

"Well, apparently the wedding isn't the only thing they missed," he muttered.

"We missed the wedding, too," Ethan grumbled. "Remember? You two took off without us."

"Save it for later, Ethan," Tommy sighed. "Kat, this is the Dino Thunder lab."

"The what?" Aisha exclaimed.

"Dino Thunder?" Conner said. "You know, Power Rangers? Just like you guys?"

"They're power rangers?" Rocky shouted.

"Duh," Ethan smirked.

"Seriously," Kira said, shaking her head. "As if we didn't make it obvious enough. I mean, why else would Dr. O have brought us to power ranger week?"

The rangers who hadn't known, Adam, Rocky, Tanya, Aisha, and Kat, just shrugged.

"We thought you guys made him bring you…" Tanya said slowly.

Tommy snorted.

"They did," he said. "Because they wanted to meet the rest of you."

"Oh," Aisha said.

"Alright," Hayley sighed, turning around. "Let's make this official. Tanya, Kat, Aisha, Rocky, and Adam—meet the Dino Thunder rangers."

The two teams nodded at each other.

"But wait," Rocky said. "Weren't there five on the Dino Thunder team? I could have sworn I saw five on the news."

Just about everyone turned to stare at Rocky.

"Umm… Rocky?" Tommy said, glancing down at himself.

He was dressed all in black, as he generally was.

"What?" Rocky said.

"Dude," Ethan laughed. "Dr. O was the black Dino Thunder ranger."

"You were a power ranger again?" Rocky exclaimed. "Wait—you stole Adam's color!"

"Hey, it was my color first," Zach protested.

"And it's not like I had a choice," Tommy said drily.

"Right?" Conner snickered. "Bond with the gem or die? Great choice."

"Conner," Tommy growled.

"Yeah, I know," he grumbled.

Hayley turned away, her computer finally ready.

"Alright, I need to interrupt for a moment," she said, reaching up onto a shelf and pulling down a small box. "But I need to run some tests on you five. I want to make sure that the sudden reappearance of your abilities isn't going to hurt you."

As the conversation continued, the Dino Rangers patiently let Hayley poke and prod at them.

"So why are they back, Hayley?" Trent asked.

"I'm not sure yet," she said. "But my best guess is that they were just recharging the past few months. They're genetic abilities, after all, so they don't rely on the morphing grid. But you really overtaxed them during that last fight."

"Makes sense to me," Ethan said.

"And it explains why Conner still couldn't stop eating," Kira added.

"You guys being rangers does explain a lot," Adam said. "So you lost your powers right before ranger week?"

"Yeah," Trent answered. "It wasn't fun…"

"What did you guys think had happened?" Tommy asked, holding out an arm for Hayley. "We weren't exactly in the best shape."

The five rangers exchanged glances.

"We thought you were in a car accident…" Aisha finally said.

"How on earth did you come to that conclusion?" Tommy said.

"Jason said you collided with a car…" said Tanya.

"Yeah," Conner snorted. "Cause a giant mutant dinosaur slammed him into one."

"And the fight is the reason I couldn't talk," Kira said. "Using my scream really killed my vocal chords. And Ethan and Conner were nearly killed when the Zords exploded…"

"That was not cool," Ethan muttered. "Mesogog didn't take kindly to Trent, either."

"Yeah…" Trent said, rubbing his shoulder. "I wasn't a fan of that… Especially after that near escape from the island explosion…"

"At least you got your dad off in time," Kira said, leaning against his shoulder.

Trent nodded in agreement.

"Wait, your dad is involved?" Kat asked.

"Only a lot," Ethan said. "He was the evil villain, after all."

"Ethan!" Tommy said.

"Sorry," Ethan sighed.

Trent shrugged, putting an arm around Kira's shoulders.

"That's alright," he said. "Dad's come to terms with it and so have I. It's not like either of us chose to be the bad guy. And it worked out alright in the end."

"You were evil?" Adam asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Trent said, running a hand over his head. "There was an evil encoding on my dino gem that controlled me for a while. But my dad broke it trying to save me from Mesogog."

"Wow…" Tanya said. "You guys had it rough…and we really didn't make it any easier on you the following week…"

"That's alright," Kira smiled. "At least we're all on the same page now."

"Yes," Hayley said. "And I'm done with the five of you. So everyone out while I work. I'll let you know what I find out later."

"And we should probably make sure the kids aren't driving Billy nuts," Trini said. "I'm sure they've finished eating by now."

"Then let's head upstairs," Tommy laughed. "And rescue him. Anyone up for some games in the backyard."

The teens darted up the stairs ahead of the rest of the group. By the time everyone else was upstairs, they were already out in the backyard with the kids and Billy.

"So how about a bonfire tonight?" Jason asked, glancing around. "You've got plenty of wood around, Tommy."

"And a fire pit outside," he said. "Sounds like a plan. We'll have to go get some more wood, though. The pile in the yard is a little small."

"Well don't look at me," Rocky muttered. "I'm not going out there ever again."

Tommy sighed.

"Rocky, come on," he said. "I'll show you your big, scary monsters."

Jerking with his head, he led the way to the backyard. The only one immediately visible was Billy, who was sitting on the steps.

"Hello," he said, glancing up as the rangers piled out into the yard. "Is everything alright with your abilities? The teens didn't explain anything."

"Hayley is still running tests," Tommy answered. "Where are all of the kids?"

"They went into the woods," Billy answered.

"What?" Aisha exclaimed.

Tanya, Kat, and Rocky looked at Tommy nervously.

"Well, that works," Tommy said.

Taking a deep breath, he put two fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Some of the others jumped. For a moment nothing happened, and then several large figures came trotting out of the trees. The rangers stared in shock as they saw the raptors for the first time.

"Tommy!" Trini squeaked in terror.

Conner was riding his red raptor, Spot, with Mark up in front of him. Kira, riding yellow Melody, had Sophia. Ethan, riding blue RAM, was laughing as they trotted back and forth. Trent followed along with them, shaking his head at something Conner had said. Both Mark and Sophia were giggling and having the time of their life.

"What are those things?" Aisha cried, gripping Rocky's arm as she watched them approach.

"Bro, this is not a good idea," Jason said, shaking his head. "That can't be safe."

"Relax," Tommy said, limping to meet the raptors. "I trained them myself. They're perfectly safe."

"Unless they're trying to eat you," Rocky muttered as the rangers hesitantly followed.

Seeing the rangers coming, Trent helped Mark and Sophia slide off of the raptors. Aisha and Trini both scooped up their children and took a step back.

"These things are awesome!" Zach exclaimed. "Can I go for a ride?"

"Umm… I don't think that's a good idea," Tommy said, shaking his head.

"But you said they're safe," Kim frowned.

"They are," Tommy said. "When the kids or I am in charge. But I don't think Zach is going to fit up there with one of us. The raptors don't take kindly to strangers trying to ride them."

"It took weeks for any of them to let Trent ride," Conner said, sliding down and patting Spot on the shoulder.

"But they like him now," Kira said.

She slid off, too, and Melody sniffed at her hair before turning and doing the same to Trent. Without the teens on their backs they were a little more antsy.

"Well, I don't have anything going on," Zach grinned. "I could stick around for a while. Those have got to be fun to race."

Tommy raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"What was that?" he said.

"You can't tell me you wouldn't have fun seeing any of us try and hold on," Zach continued, missing the look Tommy was giving him. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to stick around and give it a shot."

"I don't know," Ken said, shaking his head. "They've been seeing me here since construction started and they still don't want me to touch them."

"It'll be fine," Zach insisted. "A couple weeks with us around and they won't know who to play with first."

Tommy cleared his throat.

"But Zach," he said, smirking. "If you stay here, won't Pookie get mad?"

Zach froze.

"Pookie?" Kim said. "What's a Pookie?"

Tommy laughed as Zach spun to look at him in horror.

"We had a deal!" he cried.

"Which you just broke," Tommy retorted. "By trying to convince everyone to stay, Puddin'."

"Oh, come on," Zach pleaded. "I was just kidding."

The other rangers were snickering now.

"Too late, Cream Puff," Tommy smirked. "Your Schmoopise Poo is no longer a secret."

Zach's face turned red as the others started laughing harder.

"Man…" he muttered.

"So who is she?" Trini finally sputtered.

"I think her real name is Janet," Tommy answered. "But she answers to Pookie just fine."

Tanya and Adam exchanged a look.

"Zach, that's not the Janet who works at our record company, is it?" Adam asked.

Zach just glared, giving them enough of an answer.

"Oh," Tanya laughed, a hand over her mouth. "I don't know how I'm going to face her on Monday…"

"I'm so dead," Zach grumbled. "No thanks to you, Tommy."

"You brought it on yourself, Fruit Loop," Tommy said.

Throwing his hands up in the air, Zach turned and stormed back toward the house as everyone started laughing even harder. He passed Hayley on her way out.

"What's his problem?" she asked, looking at the others.

They just started laughing harder.

"Well," she said. "If you guys aren't too busy tormenting each other, we have an invite to join Anton for an afternoon out. He wants to treat the kids and Billy. Who is in?"

Everyone agreed with the idea as the slowly brought their laughter under control.

"You guys head for the cars," Tommy chuckled. "I'll go find Tater Tot and drag him out if necessary."

Hayley opened her mouth as if she was going to ask and then changed her mind.

"Fine, go ahead," she said. "Don't take too long."

The rangers, still laughing, headed for the cars as Tommy limped toward the house. Kira, Conner, and Ethan sent the raptors back out into the woods. Just as Hayley made it around the house, Zach came storming out followed by a laughing Tommy. He climbed into the car and slammed the door. But no one seemed concerned, laughing even harder.

"Rangers..." Hayley sighed, shaking her head. "I'm never going to understand them..."

"Zach!" Jason yelled. "Stay out of the presents! We aren't opening anything until everyone is here!"

Pouting because he'd gotten caught, Zach dropped the gift back in the pile on the table and slunk away. Jason sighed, shaking his head. It was December and they were having a Christmas party at his dojo. Almost everyone was there. The only ones they were missing were the ones coming from Reefside. And Billy, but he was back on Aquitar and not coming back anytime soon. He'd sent gifts for all of them though.

"Rematch, Jase," Rocky asked from the mat in the middle of the room. "You still haven't beaten me since that last fight during the summer."

"Just shut up, Rocky," Jason sighed. "I'll beat on you later if it makes you feel better."

"No one is beating me," he grinned. "I'm the champ and I can take any of you."

Rolling his eyes, Jason just kept walking.

"Trini," he said. "Any word from Tommy and Hayley?"

"I just spoke to Hayley," she said, glancing up. "They should be here soon. Can you get the rest of the food from the car?"

"Of course," he said, smiling.

Trini and Tanya were both several months into their pregnancies now and they were obviously pregnant. All of the rangers were extremely excited about the two new babies coming. Jason grabbed Adam to help him. They were bringing in the last load when Tommy's jeep pulled up, Hayley behind the wheel. Hayley and Tommy climbed out, Tommy with his cane in hand.

"Come on in," Jason said. "Everyone else is here."

They followed Jason inside. Rocky and Zach were sparring in the middle of the room while Ken watched. Aisha, Kim, and Kat were all hovering around the table with the food, making sure everything was set up. Tanya and Trini were sitting at the table, laughing as they watched Zach and Rocky.

"Too bad we can't sick Trini on you," Zach muttered, pulling himself off the floor. "She'd take you down a peg or two."

"Yeah right," Rocky scoffed. "She only took me down last time cause she snuck up on me."

Trini glared at him, but didn't get up.

"Someone is full of himself," Hayley said.

"Tommy! Hayley!" Kim exclaimed, rushing over to meet them.

Everyone crowded around for greetings and hugs, including Tanya and Trini. Kat hugged Tommy, but just exchanged nods with Hayley. Over the past few months they'd been on better terms, but neither was ready to be friends again. Once initial greetings were over, Tommy turned to Rocky.

"So you're still the champ?" he asked casually, leaning on his cane.

"Yep," Rocky grinned. "Jason won't even go for a rematch."

"Well, you're not quite the best yet," Tommy said, taking off his coat.

"Why not?" Rocky frowned.

Everyone was watching, wondering what Tommy was getting at.

"You still haven't beaten me," he said. "Ready to give it a shot?"

"I don't know," Rocky said, eying Tommy's cane. "I don't think it would really be fair…"

"Don't worry about it," Tommy said. "Bring it on."

"Alright," Rocky said reluctantly, looking at Hayley. "If you really want to."

Hayley rolled her eyes, taking Tommy's coat.

"I'm sure," Tommy said.

Nodding, Rocky turned and walked over to the mat. Tommy followed.

"Ready?" Rocky asked.

"Yep," Tommy grinned. "Oh. Just a second."

Spinning, he tossed his cane to Hayley and spun back to face Rocky, dropping into a ready stance.

"Now I'm ready," he smirked.

Rocky stared for a moment, and then Jason said go. Tommy burst into motion, knocking Rocky off of his feet before he knew what was going on. All of the rangers started laughing.

"Come on, Rocky," Tommy said, pulling him to his feet. "I know you can do better than that."

Glaring at Tommy, Rocky brushed himself off.

"You don't need the cane," he accused.

"Nope," Tommy smirked. "Never said I did."

"Then why do you have it?" Rocky exclaimed.

"Oh, he just likes carrying it now that he doesn't need it," Hayley said from the sidelines.

"It helps keep people in line," Tommy grinned. "You ready to fight for real this time?"

"You're going down," Rocky growled.

But by the end of the fight, it was Rocky who was groaning on the ground.

"So who's the best?" Tommy asked, grinning as he offered Rocky a hand.

"You are," Rocky muttered.

"That's what I want to hear," Tommy laughed.

He pulled Rocky up as the other rangers cheered.

"And just like that, things are back to normal," Jason said, shaking his head.

"Things are never normal around here," Hayley sighed.

"But you wouldn't have it any other way," Tommy said, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

Rolling her eyes, Hayley leaned against him as the other rangers chorused in agreement. Still laughing and joking around, they all gathered around the long table for dinner.


End file.
